This rich, deeply fudgy sauce attains incredible complexity and depth two ways. First, the addition of a touch of alcohol brings out alcohol-soluble flavors. Starting with a lightly caramelized base affords more depth and that bit of chew and stretch you expect from an excellent fudge sauce. A full recipe yields over a quart, so you can either half the recipe or make the full recipe and share with friends.
8ozexcellent quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli 60%)
Instructions
Place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, salt and milk in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
Meanwhile, whisk together the cocoa powder, water, rum and vanilla into a thin paste.
Place the cocoa paste in a large bowl.
Chop the chocolate into small pieces (or use excellent quality chocolate chips or paillettes) and add to the bowl.
When the dairy comes to a boil, regulate the heat so it maintains a slow boil but doesn't boil up in the pan.
Stir the dairy frequently and boil until it reaches a light caramel color, about 20-30 minutes (less time if you half the recipe). You don't want the color to be as dark as a Sugar Daddy, but it should be significantly darker than sweetened condensed milk. Here is a picture that hopefully will help with deciding if it's done or not.
Once the dairy is a lovely shade of deep tan, pour it into the bowl with the chopped chocolate and cocoa paste. Allow it to sit for a minute or two and then whisk until smooth.
Strain it just to make sure it is completely smooth.
Store in jars in the fridge.
If you used fresh dairy, the hot fudge sauce will keep for a good 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. If your dairy was close to the expiration date, use the sauce up within 5-7 days.