Rich Chocolate Sauce

Makes: About 1½ cups

Time: 15 minutes

More substantial than your average chocolate syrup, this rich sauce is thinner than ganache, so it can be drizzled over everything from cakes to pie to ice cream. See my favorite uses in the list below. Leave a jar in the fridge for mixing up the best chocolate milk anytime you like and see the Hot Fudge Sauce variation to bring the ice cream parlor into your own kitchen.

• 4 ounces chocolate, chopped
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine the chocolate, butter, sugar, salt, and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan over very low heat. Cook, stirring, until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

2. Add the vanilla and serve immediately, keep warm over hot water until ready to serve, or refrigerate for up to a week and rewarm before using.

HOT FUDGE SAUCE This classic sauce turns chewy and fudgy when it hits the ice cream: After the chocolate has completely melted, add ⅓ cup corn syrup to the mixture. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until thick and shiny. Add the vanilla and serve hot. Or store for up to a week and reheat very gently (a double boiler is best) before serving.

10 Uses for Rich Chocolate Sauce

Homemade chocolate sauce adds rich cocoa flavor to nearly anything:

• Stir it into a glass of milk (dairy or nondairy)—the more you use, the richer it will be.
• Drizzle it or, even better, the Hot Fudge Sauce variation, over ice cream. Add a pinch of flaky salt for a refined dessert or make a sundae with fruit compote, chopped nuts, Whipped Cream, Caramel Sauce (this page), or more chopped chocolate.
• Blend it into a milkshake.
• Make an egg cream, a classic New York treat that’s like a lighter milkshake (and, deceptively, contains no egg): Combine ½ cup whole milk with ¼ cup chocolate sauce in a chilled glass. Top with 1 cup seltzer and stir to combine.
• Make dessert for breakfast (or breakfast for dessert) by pouring it over pancakes, crêpes, waffles, or French toast (pages 98–120).
• Drizzle it over Cream Puffs, Éclairs, or Profiteroles.
• Pour it over fresh fruit: Raspberries, strawberries, bananas, and oranges are all excellent.
• Salty and sweet: Dip pretzels or potato chips into it.
• Use it to glaze a dense pound cake (pages 201 and 214).
• Make a trifle with cubed cake, Whipped Cream, and your favorite fruits and sauces.