Irish Cream Hot Fudge in 15 Minutes: Silky Chocolate Sauce

Instructions:

1. Whisk the base. In your medium heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup sifted Dutch processed cocoa, 1/3 cup light corn syrup, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Whisk until it looks like a thick, muddy paste.
2. Apply medium heat. Turn the stove to medium. You want to see the sugar start to melt into the cream. Note: Don't walk away; sugar can go from melted to burnt in seconds.
3. Simmer and hydrate. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Whisk constantly for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. You are looking for those slow bubbles.
4. Check for nappe. Dip a cold metal spoon into the sauce. Run your finger through the back. If the line stays clean and doesn't fill back in, you've reached nappe consistency.
5. Remove from heat. Pull the pan off the burner immediately to stop the cooking process.
6. Emulsify the butter. Add the 3 tbsp of cold cubed butter. Whisk vigorously until the butter disappears and the sauce looks like polished glass.
7. Add the flavor. Pour in the 1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste. Stir gently until the color is uniform.
8. Cool slightly. Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes before serving. It will thicken significantly as it drops to room temperature. For a sophisticated presentation, you might want to serve this over a flourless cake. Check out my [Yule Log Cake recipe](https://tastyrecipescorner.com/recipes/flourless-yule-log-cake/) for a base that handles rich sauces beautifully.