Chocolate Syrup

Chocolate Syrup

I looked long and hard for a recipe that didn't use corn syrup and was chocolately enough to be worthy of homemade ice cream.  Martha Stewart to the rescue!  The key to this recipe is starting the cooking on medium and letting the sauce heat up gradually.  You don't ever want it to reach a rolling boil because it will cause the fat solids to separate too much from the chocolate.  Be patient, it goes quickly and strain it off well.  Then enjoy!

Equipment:
Wisk
Medium sauce pot
Quart size mason jar with lid
Sieve
A single layer of cheesecloth

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
2 Cups sugar
1/4 tsp coarse salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably 61% cacao, chopped-I used semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract-I just put in 2 tsp.

Procedure:
1.  Bring cocoa powder and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly.
This process takes a little longer that cooking on high heat but is necessary so the milk solids in the chocolate don't separate too much. 
2.  Stir in sugar and salt until disolved.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.
3.  Remove from heat and add chocolate pieces.
4.  Stir until the chocolate has melted.
5.  Pour through a fine sieve with a single layer of cheesecloth placed inside to catch chocolate solids that didn't disolve.
6.  Stir in vanilla
7.  Let cool on counter for about 2 hours stirring occasionally.
8.  Serve warm, cold, or hot on just about anything.
9.  Keep in refrigerator.

Applications:
Add to milk for chocolate milk.
Pour over ice cream or yogurt for a yummy treat.

 Martha Stewart-Chocolate Syrup
This recipe is from the Martha Stewart website.  The link is listed above for your reference.