Hot Fudge Sauce

This hot fudge sauce recipe makes a rich, chocolatey, thick hot fudge sauce that is a great compliment to lots of desserts.  No need to spend a ton of money on a small jar of fudge sauce at the store that has all those chemicals in it and doesn't even taste good.  Try this recipe!  It would be great to give in decorative half pint mason jars for a delicious gift.  Make sure it stays refrigerated.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups heavy cream (I use half and half because it's cheaper or you can use evaporated milk, but it tastes a little different)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
In a heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat, bring the cream just to a boil then add the brown sugar and stir just until it dissolves.  Add small pieces of butter and mix until completely melted, then stir in the chocolate chips.  Wait a few minutes for chocolate to soften before folding it in with a spatula.  Stir in the salt and vanilla extract and blend until well incorporated.  Let cool for 15 minutes.  It will thicken as it cools.  This recipe makes a lot and you could easily half it.  It stores in the fridge for weeks. It's the consistency of a soft fudge when in the fridge, so it's too thick to drizzle on top of things.  To soften, scoop out desired amount into microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 second increments and stir.  It doesn't take much to soften it at all and you don't want to scorch it.

This sauce is great drizzled over ice cream, cheesecake, brownies, cookies, or whatever you like!