Dark Chocolate Sauce

This sauce is so delicious, you will never want to buy the manufactured stuff again. Just don't forget to share!

1 cup heavy cream

6 Tbs. unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (make sure you use dark chocolate powder and not the regular -- I use Hershey's)

Combine cream and butter in a medium sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a slow boil. Add the sugars, stirring until completely dissolved. Reduce heat and add salt and cocoa, whisking gently until smooth. Remove from heat and serve.

You can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container -- a spoonful in the middle of the afternoon is as good as a candy bar! Reheat over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power.

Chocolate Ice Cream

This is the best chocolate ice cream I have ever eaten in my entire life... and that's not hyperbole. It's so smooth, so creamy, so chocolatey -- you'll feel like you've gone to chocolate heaven. The recipe is from "The New Best Recipe" cookbook.

8 oz high-quality bittersweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in microwave at 50% power. Set aside to cool.
2. Position a strainer over a medium bowl set in a larger bowl containing ice water.
3. Heat the milk, cream and 1/2 cup of sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, until steam appears and the milk is warm, about 5 minutes.
4. While the milk is heating, beat the yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until pale yellow. Add the melted chocolate and beat until fully incorporated.
5. Whisk half the warm milk mixture into the beaten yolks, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined.
6. Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the sauce pan. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until steam appears and the mixture is slightly thickened. Do not boil, or the eggs will curdle.
7. Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Stir in the vanilla, cover and refrigerate until it's cooled to 40 degrees or lower -- at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
8. Pour custard into the ice cream machine and churn for up to 1/2 an hour. (Longer and you risk getting flecks of butter in your ice cream.) It should resemble soft-serve ice cream. Transfer to airtight container and freeze until firm, around 2 hours.

Easy Chocolate Fondue

There are many wonderful, complicated chocolate fondue recipes, but this one is super easy. And heck, isn't it really all about getting the chocolate onto a piece of fruit in the easiest manner possible?

This makes enough for 2 adults and 2 kids. We ate 16 strawberries and two whole bananas. If you need to make more, increase the amount of chocolate chips and half and half in a 1 to 1/4 ratio.

1 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup half and half (you can probably use milk, I just had half and half on hand)

Possible dippers: strawberries, banana, pineapple, apple, pound cake, short bread cookies, etc.

1. Combine chocolate chips and half and half in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Heat at 50% power until chips melt, stirring periodically until creamy and smooth.
3. Transfer to a small crock pot or fondue pot.
4. Start dipping.
5. Don't lick the inside of the crock pot or fondue pot when you're done... you could burn your tongue.