Hot Fudge Sauce is a fairly frequent favorite treat. This version takes less than five minutes to make, has a lovely consistency with an uncomplicated, deep chocolate flavor. We use this sauce with certain other desserts, such as cheesecake or poundcake. One time we had a wonderful dessert consisting of this sauce, a fresh raspberry sauce, and fresh whipped cream. People could use these in the proportions they preferred. It was a fairly simple dessert and totally yummy.
| ½ | cup | Chocolate morselsSemisweet, bittersweet or whatever you prefer |
| 2 | tbsp | Half and Half CreamLight cream or heavy cream also work well |
| 2 | tbsp | WaterOr, to the consistency desired |
| 1 | Pour the half-and-half in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over the lowest heat possible. Watch carefully. When it just begins to steam, remove from heat and add morsels. Mix with a spoon or whisk, moving the pan back and forth onto the heat so that the morsels begin to melt into the cream without any danger of overheating. |
| 2 | Gradually add the water, continuing to mix. Add one tablespoon of water to begin with and test the consistency as to whether to continue adding more water. I like my sauce pretty thick, so I add water until the sauce is just a little thinner than mayonnaise. You may want to experient some to get the consistency you like. |
| 3 | The mixture should not come to a bubble. Chocolate does not take very well to overheating. It tends to lose its creamy texture. It's important to remember that the sauce thickens as it cools, especially if it is used as a topping for ice cream. I have to confess that I make my ice cream sundaes with similar proportions of hot fudge and ice cream. I like to have a scoop of ice cream, and then on the side of the ice cream, a sizeable dollop of hot fudge. |