Dessert Sauces
There are seven basic types of dessert sauces and many variations.
Creme Anglaise
An egg custard made with heavy cream thick enough to use as a sauce. Many soluble and
insoluble flavorings can be added.
Chocolate sauce
Classic chocolate sauce is bittersweet chocolate, milk and butter, melted together over a bain-marie and
stirred just before service. This sauce is a component in the dessert "Poires Belle Helene". A similar sauce
is made of chocolate. water, sugar and butter. This sauce does not keep well and should not be made too far
in advance. Most commercial chocolate sauces are glucose and chocolate mixtures. A chocolate syrup is
about equal parts cocoa powder and sugar dissolved and thinned with water. A chocolate cream mixture.
"Ganache", is used as a warm fudge sauce.
Caramel sauce
Caramelized sugar thinned out with a liquid. The sugar is caramelized in the normal way, and the
liquid is very slowly added to the hot caramel. The liquid can be water, liquor, wine, juice or cream. Often
a small amount of butter is added. Caramel is a strong flavor in itself, and is difficult to add additional
flavors to. Spices and strong extracts work with some success.
Coulis
A sweetened fruit puree. Melba sauce is a raspberry coulis used in the dessert "peche Melba"
created by Escoffier. In some cases, the fruit is poached and pureed in the poaching liquid. Most purees are
strained for a smooth consistency and some need to be thinned with water, win, or liquor. Sometimes ajam
or marmalade is thinned with water, syrup or liquor and used as a sauce.
Sabayon
A hot sabayon must be prepared
the finished sauce in an ice bath.
a la minute.
A cold sabayon can be made by immediately cooling
Starch thickened sauces:
Combinations of juice, wine, liquor, fruit, water and sugar are thickened with a starch. Arrowroot
and com starch are most commonly used. Pastry cream thinned with milk or cream is often used for a
vanilla sauce.
Sour cream sauce
Sour cream or Devonshire-type cream is sweetened and flavored and thinned if necessary and
used as a sauce. It is usually served with fruit.
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Creme Anglaise
(for sauce)
1
8
qt.
oz.
12
heavy cream
sugar
egg yolks
Heat cream to scald. Blend together yolks and sugar. Temper yolks with hot cream. Return to
saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly with plastic spatula to 175°. Remove from saucepan
immediately.
Classic chocolate sauce
1
10
4
lb.
oz.
oz.
dark sweet chocolate (chopped fine)
milk
butter
Melt together all ingredients slowly over a bain-marie. For the best shine and consistency, stir the
sauce together just before service.
Bitter Chocolate sauce
1
1
8
4
lb.
pint
oz.
oz.
dark sweet chocolate (chopped fme)
water
sugar
butter
Blend together sugar and water and boil until the sugar is dissolved. While stirring, slowly pour
the hot syrup onto the chocolate. Continue stirring until sauce is smooth.
Chocolate syrup
8
8
20
oz.
oz.
oz.
cocoa powder
sugar (less sugar for a more bitter sauce)
water
Mix together cocoa and sugar (sift if necessary to remove lumps). Add enough water to make a
thin paste. Heat over a bain-marie, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Slowly mix in remaining
water.
Chocolate ganache sauce
1
12
lb.
oz.
dark sweet chaco late (chopped fine)
cream
Heat cream to scald. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until smooth. Serve warm.
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Caramel sauce
1
4
lb.
oz.
sugar
water
8
oz.
liquor, wine, juice, or water (or 10 oz. cream)
Blend sugar and water together and cook to medium caramel. Remove from heat and slowly stir in
liquid.
Sabayon
6
8
10
oz.
oz.
egg yolks
sugar
white wine (or 8 oz. Marsala)
Whip yolks and sugar to ribbon stage. Place over a bain-marie. Continue whipping until eggs
foam. Slowly add the wine and whip until the sauce triples in volume (about 7 minutes). Serve
immediately.
For cold sabayon; place finished sauce on an ice bath and whip until cold. Soft peak whipped
cream can be folded in to cold sauce.
Lemon sauce
3
1
8
3
lb.
tbsp.
pint
fl. oz.
oz.
sugar
com starch
water
lemon juice
butter
Mix together sugar and starch. Add water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thick.
Remove from heat. Add juice, then butter and stir until smooth.
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