Tutorial Tuesday: Green Gift Series ~ Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

This next homemade gift in our 'green gift series' is the perfect present to remind your friends & family just how much you love & appreciate them.  And best yet, every time they have a delicious ice cream sundae they will think of you and just how much they return the feelings:)

This delectable 'hot fudge sauce' will last them all the way until spring and is such a  cinch to make that you won't be able to settle for the pre-packaged variety ever again.  Check out this fantastic recipe from My Own Ideas. . .

HOMEMADE HOT FUDGE SAUCE


Ingredients:

~ 3 Tbsp unsweeted cocoa powder
~ 1/2 cup whipping cream
~ 1 – 1/2 cups light corn syrup
~ 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
~ 4 Tbsp butter
~ dash of salt
~ jars (I like THESE ONES by Ball)



Directions:


1.) In a pot on the stove, mix the cocoa powder with the cream and stir on low until the powder dissolves into the cream. Add the remaining ingredients and stir over low heat until thoroughly mixed.

2.) Bring to a slow boil, and simmer, stirring, for about five minutes until thickened a little. Allow to cool to lukewarm, and pour into jars. Makes about 4 cups.
**To serve, heat until it reaches a stirrable consistency, pour over ice cream.

Variations: 


Mexican Hot Fudge Sauce
~ Add 1 tsp ground cinnamon along with the rest of the ingredients.


Mocha Hot Fudge Sauce
~ Add 2 Tbsp instant coffee powder along with the rest of the ingredients.

You can get the above labels at: My Own Labels.  And a few more excellent examples. . .

(photo courtesy of http://www.clarkwalkerstudio.com/blog) 

(photo courtesy of http://elementsdesign.com)

 (image via http://jownby.wordpress.com)

(photo via Style Me Pretty)

There now, isn't that just as easy as pie?  These would be amazing favors for that chocolate loving bride or even an 'Ice Cream Social' Birthday party or Shower, right?

And you know I wouldn't leave you empty-handed after all of your hard work, so here is a free printable tag to add a quick hole-punch and a strand of twine to, and tie around the neck of your mini-mason jar . . .

You can download the page of multiple files here:

Hot Fudge Sauce Multiple

We certainly have been spending some quality time in the kitchen this season!  Why, we're regular Betty Crockers these days, aren't we?

An April Fool's Delight...

Oh my, I really was going to leave you to your cupcake wrapping but I absolutely HAD to share just one more thing with you this fine Friday.  Nicole over at Tradewind Tiaras put together the most clever little April Fool's Day Neapolitan Ice Cream Party that just might inspire you to play a trick or two on your loved ones before heading into the weekend...

The concept for this April Fool's Day party was that nothing would be quite what it seemed, that everything would have a trick or a twist and fool the eye.  That meant, with a Neapolitan ice cream theme, that everything on the dessert table would look like ice cream...but wasn't.

Maybe...Milkshakes?  (Actually white, chocolate, and strawberry milk, topped with whipped cream and a fondant cherry.)

Probably...Drumsticks?  (Actually cake balls on homemade krumkake miniature cones, decorated to look like the classic Good Humor ice cream treat.)

Ostensibly...Fudgesicles?  (Actually chocolates with a peanut butter filling, sprayed with luster dust to give it a little bit of a frosty look, and nestled in fake ice to help give it some extra realism.)

Presumptively...Scoops of Ice Cream?  (Actually sugar cookies made to look like scoops of ice cream!)

Presumably...Ice Cream Cones?  (These were actually meringues made to look like soft serve ice cream cones.)

Supposedly...Sugar Cookies?  (Ok, so these actually were sugar cookies, but Nicole liked the alliteration!)

How much fun is that?!  Happy April Fool's Day everyone...and good luck with all of your pranks & practical jokes!