Host an ice cream sundae party to taste different toppings and ice cream brands. Photo by Lauri Patterson | IST. WHAT IT IS: A comprehensive line of chocolate and caramel dessert sauces. WHY IT’S DIFFERENT: From the classic (Bittersweet Chocolate, Orange Chocolate) to the modern (White Key Lime Chocolate, Pear Cinnamon Caramel), the sauces enhance desserts from the everyday to the gala. WHY WE LOVE IT: Impeccable taste and great recipes, as good as we could make ourselves. Using the best ingredients, there’s a maximum of good chocolate or caramel flavor, without sugariness. And it’s a time-saver: after just moments in the microwave, the sauce is ready to turn anything on the plate into a fancy dessert. Just drizzle and serve. PURCHASE AT: KingsCupboard.com.

The King’s Cupboard Dessert Sauces: Long Live The King Page 5: Ice Cream Sundae Party This is Page 5 of a five-page article. Here, how to throw an ice cream sundae party, and the different types of dessert sauces. Click on the black links below to visit other pages. INDEX Page 1: Capsule Report Page 1: Overview Page 2: Chocolate Sauces Page 3: Caramel Sauces Page 3: Serving Suggestions Page 4: Adding Liqueurs Page 4: Recipes With The Sauces Page 5: Other Types Of Dessert Sauce Page 5: Have A Sundae Party Page 5: Shopping Information Page 5: Related Articles Page 5: More Dessert Books See the table of contents of the June issue of THE NIBBLE online magazine, plus the back issues archive and our most popular articles. See the prior issues archive of the Top Pick Of The Week newsletter.

Dessert Sauces: What’s The Difference?

When you see sundae toppers on the shelf, what’s in the jar or bottle?

Syrup. A syrup is thinner than a sauce and is pourable from the bottle (think chocolate syrup or maple syrup). They are typically just flavored sugar and water, perhaps with thickener. Commercial syrups often substitute high fructose corn syrup for sugar.

Sauce. A dessert sauce has a thicker consistency than a syrup (think of the consistency of preserves). What is the difference between chocolate sauce and hot fudge sauce? Hot fudge sauce is typically described as “a thick chocolate sauce served hot.” In recipes we’ve examined, hot fudge sauce typically has cocoa added in addition to chocolate, creating a more chocolaty, fudgier flavor than something labeled simply, “chocolate sauce.” However, there are no set standards, so terminology will vary from producer to producer. Products that are very fudgy, like The King’s Cupboard, will be called “chocolate sauce,” and products that are less fudgy and thick will be labeled “hot fudge sauce.” It’s a challenge to the buyer.

Spread. A spread is thicker than a dessert sauce: smooth, creamy and spreadable with a knife (think Nutella). Spreads can be used for breakfast breads, cookies, biscuits and plain cakes like pound cake and brownies.

Fruit Butter. A variation of a spread that can contain chunks of whole fruits: apple and pumpkin are popular flavors. It is commonly used instead of jam on breakfast breads and does not contain any butter—the term refers to the consistency.

Curd. Curd is a different type of creamy, fruit-based spread made of fruit juice, butter, eggs and sugar. Citrus and berry flavors are the most popular. Curd is more versatile than fruit butter, and can be used on breads, pancakes, ice cream and other desserts.

Have A Sundae Party

As we say in NibbleLand, there’s no need to make choices. Any host or hostess would top the popularity scale by providing friends with an opportunity to taste the entire line of dessert sauces at a sundae party. Taste The Sauces. Order one of every flavor and consider getting little white sampling spoons—the kind you taste flavors with at the ice cream parlor. After guests find their favorite(s) at room temperature, you can microwave the sauce in the jars, bring out the ice cream and let them create their own sundaes. Taste Different Ice Cream Brands. This is also an opportunity to discover which brand of ice cream you truly prefer. While vanilla is usually the standard (everyone likes it), you can also serve different brands of chocolate, coffee or strawberry ice cream—or mint chocolate chip or anything else you like.

Ice cream sundae. Photo by Dusan Zidar | CSP.

• Sugar-Free Options. Those who can’t have sugar can have The King’s Cupboard Sugar-Free Chocolate Sauce with sugar-free ice cream. People who are cutting back on sugar per doctor’s orders may not want to announce that fact, so when you invite guests, ask if they’re also interested in trying sugar-free options.
• You don’t have to make anything but coffee, and everyone will have a memorable time.

As we showed on Page 3, these sauces are for much broader use than sundaes—but a sundae party lets you taste them all and decide which ones are your favorites.

We’ve tried them all several times, and what we ended up crazy over wasn’t what we would have guessed based on our normal flavor preferences. Given how much we now rely on these sauces to create everyday and special-occasion desserts, the “research” was worth the time.

Jars of The King’s Cupboard dessert sauces make welcome hostess gifts and stocking stuffers. The company website has a variety of gift sets, some of which we’ve listed below—not too saucy, just right.

—Karen Hochman

FORWARD THIS NIBBLE to anyone who loves chocolate or caramel, to sweets-lovers on sugar-free diets and to home cooks looking for easy-but-great dessert ideas.

KING’S CUPBOARD Chocolate and Caramel Dessert Sauces Certified kosher by Kosher Overseers (KOAOA) USDA-Certified Organic Chocolate & Caramel Sauces 10-Ounce Jars $8.99 Organic Dessert Sauces 7.2-Ounce Chocolate Sauce 7.7-Ounce Caramel Sauce $8.99 Sugar-Free Chocolate Sauce 10-Ounce Jars $9.99 Purchase online* at KingsCupboard.com or telephone 1.800.962.6555. *Prices and product availability are verified at publication but are subject to change. Shipping is additional. These items are offered by a third party and THE NIBBLE has no relationship with them. Purchase information is provided as a reader convenience. Go To Page 1: Overview Go To Article Index Above

Some of the family of chocolate sauces. Caramel sauces.

More Great Dessert Books: Classics For Your Library

The Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum. This classic, a former “cookbook of the year” selection by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, has something to teach bakers at every level. More than just great recipes, it’s also great technique. Click here for more information or to purchase.	The Pie and Pastry Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum. With every recipe to ensure perfect results, this book however, is for the serious baker who demands top quality. There’s no one who delivers it better than Rose. Click here for more information or to purchase.	Maida Heatter’s Book Of Great Desserts, by Maida Heater. Nearly 300 recipes, each of them worked out to fool-proof protection. Classic recipes include Raspberry-Strawberry Bavarian, creamy Black-and-White Cheesecake and Walnut Fudge Pie a la Mode. Click here for more information or to purchase.
Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Chocolate Desserts, by Maida Heatter. Chocoholics can breathe a sigh of relief, as this classic returns after 10 years out of print. Click here for more information or to purchase.	The Cake Book, by Tish Boyle and John Uher. If you’re looking for something simple and basic that anyone can follow yet still turnout a great cake, this is your book. Every reviewer gives it 5 stars. Click here for more information or to purchase.	Brownies to Die For!, by Bev Shaffer. A comprehensive cookbook on everything brownie-related, with a huge number of recipes. If you don’t want to take on the more complex task of cake-making, this will keep you satisfied. Click here for more information or to purchase.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, special offers, contests, opinion surveys, THE NIBBLE back issues archive, product gift-finder, links to our favorite food websites, and the ability to nominate YOUR favorite nibbles, visit the home page of TheNibble.com.

ABOUT THE NIBBLE. THE NIBBLE™, Great Food Finds™, is an online magazine about specialty foods and the gourmet life. It is the only consumer publication and website that focuses on reviewing the best specialty foods and beverages, in every category. The magazine also covers tabletop items, gourmet housewares, and other areas of interest to people who love fine food. This e-mail from the editors features the top food pick of the week. You can read the complete magazine and past issues at TheNibble.com.

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