• 3 oz. bitter chocolate or cooking chocolate or 1 heaped tablesp. cocoa
• ½ pt. water
• ¼ oz. cornflour or custard powder
• sugar if required
• vanilla essence
• 1 teasp. rum (optional)
• a few drops of coffee essence (optional)

Break the chocolate in rough pieces and warm them gently with a very little water. When melted, beat the chocolate mixture till smooth, adding the rest of the water gradually. Thicken the sauce with the cornflour or custard powder blended with a little cold water. Flavour and sweeten to taste.

If cocoa is used, mix it with the dry cornflour before blending with water.