Custard Sauce
This is an essential part of a good cook’s repertoire and the sooner you master it the more confident you will become in the kitchen. The next wonderful step, after mastering this one, is the recipe for Hollandaise sauce. So, learn this one first. This is a perfect sauce to dress up almost any dessert.
6 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups hot milk
3 tbs. butter
1 tbs. pure vanilla extract
2 tbs. dark rum, cognac, or other liqueur (if you are serving adults who like this flavor)
• Using a wire whisk, whisk the eggs in a 2 quart stainless steel saucepan (on the counter, not the stove) and add the sugar by spoonfuls.
• Keep whisking for 2 to 3 minutes and watch as the yolks turn thick and pale yellow and can hold a drizzled shape for a few seconds in the batter.
• Dribble in the hot milk a little at a time.
• Now set the pan over a moderate heat and slowly stir with a wooden spoon and reach all the corners of the pan so that the custard heats and thickens but be very sure not to let it come even close to a boil.
• You can lift the pan from the heat while stirring (this does take practice) to cool it a bit and tease it from boiling.
• When the spoon is coated in a light and creamy way it is done and at that point you beat in the additional butter and vanilla and spirits, if you choose.
Serve this at once or refrigerate it (covered) for 2 days only.
Chocolate Sauce
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or strong liquor, such as rum, or liqueurs such as Grand Marnier or brandy
• Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl and set aside.
• Combine the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan and place over low heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
• Remove from heat and pour immediately over the chocolate.
• Let stand until the chocolate has melted, then whisk until smooth.
• Whisk in vanilla extract or other flavoring.
• Store the sauce in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container.
• Reheat over simmering water before serving.
Yield: 2 cups.
Chocolate Mint Sauce
• 10 large chocolate peppermint patties
• 4 tbs. cream
• Melt the patties over hot water, stirring occasionally.
• Add the cream and blend well.
Yield: Serves 6
Chocolate Fondue for Dipping Fruit
5 Hershey’s® Chocolate Bars
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Corn Syrup
1/4 cup Brandy
• Break candy bars into the top of a double boiler.
• Melt the chocolate in the double boiler.
• Stir and add the heavy cream. Immediately add the corn syrup and keep stirring.
• Turn off the heat.
• Cover until ready to serve.
Dippers: Strawberries, Orange slices, Pear slices, Apple slices (unpeeled), Maraschino cherries (drained), Bananas, cut to 1″ chunks, Pound cake chucks (can be frozen pound cake)
Keep fondue warm in fondue pot or crock pot.
Yield: Serves 8
Cherry Sauce
1 pound sweet cherries, pitted
½ cup water
½ cup corn syrup or sugar
1 tbs. cornstarch
Lemon juice
Kirsch, cognac, sherry or cherry liqueur (optional)
• Place the cherries, one-quarter cup of the water and the syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Blend the cornstarch with the remaining water and add, stirring, to the cherries.
• Cook, stirring, until clear or for about one minute.
• Add lemon juice and kirsch to taste.
• Serve warm or cold over pudding over ice cream.
Note: Can be stored in a the refrigerator
Yield: 2 ½ cups
Butterscotch Sauce 2
1 egg yolk
4 tbs. butter
¼ cup water
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
1. Beat egg yolk and add remaining ingredients and mix well.
2. Cook in a double boiler, stirring frequently until thickened.
3. Beat vigorously before using.
4. Serve hot or cold over ice cream.
Yield: Serves 8
Butterscotch Sauce
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar, or ½ white and ½ light brown
¼ cup butter
½ cup light cream
2 tbs. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Combine all the ingredients except the vanilla in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil.
• Boil briskly five minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat.
• Add vanilla and serve warm.
Note:
• The sauce may be stored in the refrigerator.
• To reheat, place in a pan of hot, not boiling, water until the sauce has thinned to pouring consistency.
Blueberry Sauce
Water
¼ cup sugar
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup blueberries
• Bring ¾ cup of water and the sugar to a boil and stir until the sugar to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
• Add the lemon juice.
• Mix the cornstarch with one tbs. water and add, stirring, to the syrup.
• Cook, stirring, one minute.
• Add the blueberries and cook one-half minute.
• Serve warm.
Yield: 2 cups
Apricot Sauce
4 oz Apricots; Dried
3/4 c Apple Juice
1/2 c Orange Juice
1/4 c Honey
2 tb Water
2 t Cornstarch
Ginger; Ground, To Taste Cinnamon; Ground, To Taste 1 tb Sweet Vermouth
Cover the apricots with the apple juice and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Stir the apricots occasionally so they will not stick or burn. Let the apricots cool, then strain. Reserve the cooking liquid. Chop the cooked apricots and set aside. In a 2-quart saucepan combine the orange juice, honey, water, cornstarch, ginger and cinnamon. Heat, stirring constantly, until thickened slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the apricots, their cooking liquid and vermouth. Serve hot or well chilled.
Apricot-Ginger Cranberry Sauce
INGREDIENTS: 14 Dried apricots, each cut
-into 3 strips 1/2 c Cranberry juice
12 oz Fresh (or thawed frozen)
-cranberries 1/2 c Plus 1 tbsp. sugar
1 tb Minced, pared, fresh ginger
Soak the dried apricots in the cranberry juice in a medium saucepan for ten minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir them well. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the cranberries have popped and the syrup has thickened slightly – that should take about 5 minutes. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it (covered) until it’s *cold*. It can be stored in the fridgipater for up to a week. Transfer the sauce to a serving dish and serve while it’s still cold. The colder the better, so long as it isn’t frozen.
Apricot Basting Sauce
1/2 c Apricot Jam
1/4 c Apricots; Dried, Fine Chop
1/4 c Dry White Wine
1 T Honey
1 t Worcestershire Sauce
Heat all ingredients over low head, stirring occasionally, until jam is melted. Makes about 1 cup of sauce.
Apple and Raisin Sauce
1 c Apple Sauce
1/2 c Apple Butter
1/2 c Raisins
1/2 c Maple Syrup
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until bubbly. Makes 2 1/4 cups of sauce.