![Strawberry sauce. - [Gelly___ via Pixebay]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/2/28/660x290/b_502x220x82/strawberry-sauce-by-gelly-via-pixebay_1860955.jpg "Strawberry sauce. - [Gelly___ via Pixebay]")
Last time, I covered a list of five cocktails you can do in your sleep for foodies and non-foodies alike. This time, however, I will now be covering dessert sauces that are just as simple to make. Typically, when a newbie thinks about dessert sauces, they imagine a syrup they can layer their cakes with or a dip for their pastries. That's because they believe that homemade sauces are complicated; tantalizing even.
This is not only far from the truth, it belittles the simpler ones that can be just as rewarding as their more complicated iterations.
Most of these foods are relatively easy as long as people are willing to follow some simple rules in making them. Here is a top five list of dessert sauces you can make in your sleep.
5. Ganache
This is one of the simplest dessert sauces for Chocolate lovers. When people typically talk about ganache, they don't refer to it as a sauce. Some refer to it as a glaze which is true considering it's used for cakes and pastries in place of icing. Others will call it a dessert since it can be served standalone or with some fruit. This is because it has a very flexible formula, meaning its consistency could either be thin for glazing or thick for eating.
A basic ganache is made with equal parts of chocolate (preferably dark semi-sweet) and cream.
The more cream added, the thinner it is and the less cream added, the thicker it is. The chocolate is melted in a double boiler, then the cream is gradually added and stirred in. However, other ingredients like butter and salt can be added in small quantities to enhance its look and taste respectively.
4. Chantilly cream
Those unfamiliar with Chantilly cream might think the name sound glamorous and could are likely to believe it's a complicated dessert sauce.
However, while it can be the former, it is definitely not the latter. In fact, this is arguably the easiest dessert sauce on the list because it hardly requires work. Like ganache, there are only two ingredients required; one being whipping cream and the other being powdered sugar. Hence it's just sweetened cream.
Of course, Chantilly cream can also be flavored with foods--typically with vanilla--and will require an extra ingredient or two.
It also has to remain chilled so preparing it in a cold bowl is an absolute requirement. Still, it's a dessert sauce that doesn't necessarily need to be mastered. Here is a simple recipe complete with a dessert to glaze it with.
3. Fruit coulis
Fans of tarty fruit like berries, oranges or lemons will love this next one. What separates fruit coulis from most dessert sauces--besides having fruit as its base--is that it acts as a preservative much like jams and jellies. Typically, this involves simmering fruit (chopped or pureed) with sugar until the mixture forms a syrup and collected through a fine mesh sieve. A simple fruit coulis formula consists of a 2:1/2 ratio of fruit puree to sugar. Additionally, small amounts of citrus juices, alcohol or spices can be added to enhance the taste.
2. Butterscotch sauce
People will most associate the word butterscotch with candy since it is a commonly known confection, a food made from high amounts of sugar. However, butterscotch can also be used as a flavor in dessert sauces which bring us to the next one this list. The butterscotch sauce should be simple to many considering its formula isn't even a secret. Rather, it's just a variation of caramel (cooked sugar).
There are three components that can be quickly combined over a low boil to form this thick sauce. It's Heavy cream, sugar, and butter in a 2:2:1/2 ratio. The result is a thick, sweet, golden brown sauce that's perfect for ice cream.
1. Hard sauce
Here is a buttery thick, sweet dessert sauce that doesn't require cooking to make.
Similar to Chantilly cream, a hard sauce is served strictly cold. It's made by creaming sugar ( preferably confectionary sugar) and butter together for the base, then adding alcohol (brandy, sherry, whiskey, or rum) for the flavor.
A typical hard sauce base has a 2:1 ratio of sugar to butter. The alcohol is added sparingly (no more than an ounce per pint) so not to make the sauce too strong. Its consistency betrays it's definition as a sauce as it is thick like butter and can even be molded for decoration. Stil, it's a pretty easy dessert sauce to make nonetheless.
