Chocolate Sauces

Given its thickening capacities, chocolate is easily made into sauce, the simplest version being chocolate melted in water to serve hot or at room temperature. Often a little butter and vanilla or liqueur are added for flavor, while richer sauces are based on cream or milk instead of water. Chocolate sauces that contain a generous amount of sugar are sometimes called fudge sauces, though the term is not precise. A chocolate sauce should be tailored to the dish it accompanies. For example, chocolate fudge sauce for ice cream should be made with bitter chocolate and be thick enough to set on contact with the cold dessert, while sauces for puddings and mousses should be thinner and sweeter.