Regal Chocolate Sauce

As a confirmed chocoholic, I know my chocolate. And chocolate sauces. I don't buy ready-made. Why bother to buy it when you can make it so easily? Maybe twice a year I make this sauce, my favorite, Regal Chocolate Sauce, and when it's gone, it's gone. When the grandkids visit I sometimes buy the Hershey's squirt bottle, which they love. But, this sauce is far and away my favorite.

Year ago I was in a Newcomer's Club, and the group decided to publish a cookbook of members' recipes. A couple of my recipes are in the book, plus this one, from a friend I made in the club. Over the years I've tried several other variations. The Los Angeles Times did an in-depth investigation into home made chocolate sauces some years ago and I tried a couple of them. Nope. Didn't measure up in my book. I have tried recipes using heavy cream, a lot more butter, corn syrup instead of sugar, and various types of chocolate including milk. A friend shared her mother-in-law's coveted recipe. Nope. Not that one, either. Why do I bother to try all these others? I have the best recipe already. It's incredibly easy. What I like about it is that it doesn't get chalky as it ages in the refrigerator. And you can make it in the microwave in a Pyrex measuring bowl, or heat it on the range if you want to have more control. You never want to overcook pure chocolate. Then pour it into a glass containier, cool and refrigerate. Then when I need it, I merely remove the lid and heat briefly - very briefly - in the microwave, until it's just thin enough to pour and you're done.

I've even tried the recipe using Scharffen Berger chocolate, and Valrhona too. They are good, and you can certainly substitute them for the German chocolate. What is it about the German chocolate? I'd forgotten what was unique about it:

German's Chocolate dates back to 1852, when an American named Sam German created a sweet baking chocolate bar for the Baker's Chocolate Company. This new chocolate had sugar added to it, as a convenience for bakers. But that all important apostrophe and "s" were soon dropped from "German's." In 1828, Dutch chocolate maker C. J. Van Houten invented the cocoa press. This machine squeezed cocoa butter out of the beans and treated the cocoa with an alkalizing agent to improve the color and flavor. The process became known as "dutching," and cocoa processed this way is called Dutch chocolate.

So, Dutch chocolate, because of the use of an alkalizing agent is a milder form of chocolate. I'm a dark chocolate fan, so it's interesting that I prefer the milder chocolate in this sauce. And speaking of Dutch chocolate, you may not have heard about this fabulous liqueur, Vermeer Dutch Cream. It's very similar to Bailey's, but it's chocolate based rather than coffee/chocolate. It is made with Dutch chocolate. You have to seek out a retailer for it, as it's a bit hard to find. It would make a great gift to a friend who is a chocoholic, or try it yourself. (As with Bailey's, you should keep it refrigerated, and shake it up each time you intend to use it.) Note that the bottle has a Vermeer painting on the front, The Girl with a Pearl Earring, the one that inspired Susan Vreeland to write the novel about her (wonderful book, by the way, if you haven't read it). Here's a photo of the bottle, below.

So, back to chocolate sauce - try my Regal Chocolate Sauce. You can use any form of chocolate you like. Try it on a little bit of good-quality vanilla ice cream with a few toasted almonds on top. Oh yes. (Photo at top courtesy of Kraft Foods; photo at bottom from Vermeer Dutch Cream's website.)

Regal Chocolate Sauce
Recipe from a friend I met in the 1970's
Servings: 6
4 ounces German chocolate squares
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 dash salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine chocolate, water, sugar and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve hot or cold over ice cream. Makes 3/4 cup.
NOTES : It keeps in the refrigerator for months, and is easy to reheat (at medium power setting) in the microwave.
Per Serving: 144 Calories; 9g Fat (48.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 65mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
To view a printable recipe, click on the title at top.