A basic fudge sauce can be made with a few simple ingredients, including chocolate, butter, milk, and corn syrup. Cocoa powder or solid chocolate pieces can be used for the chocolate flavoring. Other flavoring agents can also be added. These ingredients are then usually melted together in a double boiler. To prevent the mixture from burning, it is important to cook it using low heat, and stir it frequently.
Fudge sauce can be served warm over ice cream, or as a dip for fruit or cookies. Chocolate is typically the main ingredient in fudge sauce, but other ingredients are usually used as well. Butter and milk are often added to thin the melted chocolate.
Depending on a person's tastes, sugar can be added to this dessert sauce to make it sweeter. Corn syrup is also usually added. This helps create the thick, smooth texture of fudge sauce. Honey can be used in place of corn syrup, but it is usually sweeter and it also has a more distinctive taste.
A couple forms of chocolate can be used to make fudge sauce. Some cooks use unsweetened cocoa powder, for instance. This powder is often mixed with liquids, such as milk, water, or even melted butter.
Solid chocolate can also be used to make fudge sauce. Pieces of solid chocolate can be chopped or broken up, but chocolate chips are typically easier to use. Depending on a person's preferences, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate can be used. Sugar can be added to fudge sauce made with dark or semi-sweet chocolate to make it sweeter.
Other flavorings can also be added to fudge sauce, and several creative combinations can be made. Mint extract can be added to the mixture while it is cooking, for example, to create mint fudge sauce. A pinch of instant coffee granules can also be added to the sauce to help bring out the chocolate flavor. Adding more than a pinch of instant coffee, however, can result in a mocha flavored sauce.
Fudge sauce can burn quickly when it is being cooked, and most culinary experts recommend using a double boiler to prepare this desert sauce. If a double boiler is unavailable, the ingredients can be cooked on very low heat. This sauce should also be stirred frequently to help prevent the mixture from burning or forming lumps.
