Could I get sauce with that?

So now the amazing blueberry sauce has prompted me to go on a sauce kick. Or perhaps it's the vanilla ice cream lingering in my freezer, calling out for some topping to make it even tastier. Whatever the impetus, when I was wasting a little time at work surfing the waves of the information superocean (can't call it a superhighway if we're surfing on it, now can we?), I came across a recipe for homemade hot fudge sauce on Smitten Kitchen, quite possibly one of my favorite food-related blogs. This stuff doesn't come out of a jar, kids. All prepared to make a quick list and stop by the grocery store on my way home, I pleasantly realized that I actually have all of this ingredients hanging out at home already, just waiting for me to turn them into hot fudge sauce! Yes, this is why I need the extra kitchen space. I like to bake AND I like to cook AND I have an unnatural obsession with glass beverage and/or food receptacles....and whisks. All of this leads to much stuff in the kitchen. Back to the chocolaty goodness.

First and foremost, should probably not attempt new recipes while on the phone. Sorry, Amanda, about that brief moment of panic when I thought I was ruining the chocolaty goodness and I blathered "I'll have to call you back!!" instead of actually speaking to you.

Back to the chocolaty goodness again. I recommend never, ever making this, by the way. Not because it's not good. It is. Frighteningly good, even. This hot fudge sauce has the capacity to ruin all other hot fudge sauces for you. Well, not really. Have you ever met a bad hot fudge sauce? I mean, it's hot fudge, for crying out loud!

Just a few notes for those of you who may want to attempt this in the future:

1. Please remember that when melting together butter and baking chocolate, those delicious smells wafting up to your nose do not equate to something tasty at this point. Do not, under any circumstances, feel like you should taste the chocolate-butter combo until sugar has been added. My nose throws my taste buds for a spin on this one. Amanda made an excellent point about the sheer will and perseverance of the poor soul who tasted a bitter little cacao bean and decided to give it a second chance, adding sugar somewhere along the way. Without sugar...nasty. With...ridiculously yummy.
   
2. When sugar actually has been added and everything's coming together nicely, also don't taste-test until it's had a chance to cool down a little bit. Immediate application of ice cube to tongue could possibly mitigate burn pain and subsequent destruction of taste buds.
   
3. Use good judgment when determining how much hot fudge sauce to drizzle over the ice cream. I got a little sauce-happy and may have overdone it just a touch. What is that, overdo hot fudge sauce?? I know, it's not really possible, but I had to really slow down for the end of the bowl.

I'm fairly certain no one cares about my culinary photography endeavors, but I found a "culinary" setting on my camera and decided it needed to be used. Besides, it also allowed me to discover that my camera lens was pretty dirty.

Bubbling away!

Meeting the perfect companion

And leftover ribbons of hot fudge