June 7 was National Chocolate Ice Cream Day, or so the people who keep records of such days will tell you. And while there doesn’t seem to be any official explanation for why that particular frozen dessert should be assigned this particular day, it certainly makes sense that the holiday should come around this time of year. After all, summer is only two weeks away. So why not celebrate America’s favorite ice cream flavor right now?
One thing I won’t do here, however, is give you a chocolate ice cream recipe. After all, there are more people who don’t have home ice cream-making equipment to do that job. And besides, every supermarket today seems to have a wide variety of great, ready-to-eat chocolate ice creams for you to choose from. So go ahead and pick your own.
What I would like to do, though, is help make the pleasure you get from eating chocolate ice cream even greater by sharing recipes for two easy ice cream sauces you can make easily at home: bittersweet chocolate sauce and caramel sauce.
It always surprises me that chocolate lovers will buy chocolate sauce in jars or bottles when it’s so easy to make your own sauce at home in just minutes, using ingredients that are probably better quality than those used in commercial brands. For the best flavor, be sure to start with good chocolate that contains 65 percent to 70 percent cacao, which you should see indicated on the labels of the many excellent brands sold in good supermarkets and specialty foods stores. If you like, you can even flavor the sauce to your own tastes, like I do in the following recipe with touches of espresso coffee and cinnamon.
One of the most popular trends in dessert toppings today is caramel sauce, a mixture of caramelized sugar, cream and a touch of butter. You’ll find it surprisingly easy to make at home, too. Even though the recipe is simple, it is absolutely essential that you remain cautious at all times to avoid coming into contact with the hot sugar syrup. Be sure, also, to use a heavy saucepan so that the syrup will caramelize evenly.
While both of these sauces can be prepared in a matter of minutes, they can also be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator to be reheated gently just before serving. That leaves you free to add any other embellishments you might like — whipped cream, toasted nuts, rainbow sprinkles and even a cherry on top to your chocolate ice cream. (Or any other flavor. I promise I won’t tell.)
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
10 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, 65 percent to 70 percent cacao, chopped
1/4 cup freshly brewed espresso coffee or very strong brewed coffee (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
Pour the cream into a large saucepan, and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently and taking care not to let the cream boil over.
Put the chocolate in a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl. If you’d like extra flavor, add the espresso or cinnamon, separately or together, to the bowl.
Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate. Let stand so the hot cream softens the chocolate, about 1 minute. Whisk to blend the sauce, carefully scraping down the bowl sides occasionally. Taste, and whisk in more cinnamon, if desired.
Use the sauce immediately. Transfer any leftover sauce (or all of it if you don’t use it right away) to a covered container, and refrigerate for up to several days. Rewarm gently in a double boiler or in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat.
CARAMEL SAUCE
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions:
Sprinkle the sugar over the bottom of a deep, heavy medium saucepan. Pour the water evenly over the sugar. Over medium-high heat, cook without stirring, tilting the pan gently once or twice to ensure that all the sugar is dissolved, until the syrup begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes.
Cook at a vigorous boil, watching attentively, until the syrup just begins to turn golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Gently and carefully move the pan from side to side, without stirring, so the syrup continues to color evenly. Reduce the heat to medium.
Watching diligently, continue to cook the syrup, reducing the heat slightly, until the color becomes a very dark amber and the syrup gives off slight wisps of smoke and smells almost burnt, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Immediately and carefully pour in the cream to stop the cooking. The caramel will bubble up vigorously, so keep your hands clear, but do not be alarmed. Immediately reduce the heat to low. Whisk the sauce to blend it evenly. Add the butter, and simmer a minute or so longer, whisking until smooth.
Pour the caramel into a heatproof container. Use immediately, or cover and store for up to several days in the refrigerator, where the sauce will thicken as it cools. Reheat gently in a double boiler, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat or in the microwave.