A few months ago, I created a sugar free red wine fudge sauce recipe for a feature in Nonpareil Magazine (Issue #04, page 16), and boy is it ever tasty, if I do say so myself. The thick, pudding-like texture of the sauce makes it a great choice for a rich filling for chocolate tarts, too.
Even though I think the red wine sauce is totally tasty, I wanted to make something with an old-fashioned fudgy texture like the fudge sauces I remember from sugar-filled sundaes in days gone by. To get this texture, I think it’s pretty much a requirement to use at least some actual chocolate, though it’s a challenge because it tends to be difficult to balance the bitterness of unsweetened chocolate with the sweet in other ingredients in a recipe.
I’m very happy to report a success! Now, I will say that I use a few ingredients in this recipe that aren’t exactly easy to find in your local grocery store, but they shouldn’t be too “out there” for those of you who are on a sugar free diet.
I used isomalt for some sweetening action but, more importantly, I used it for its ability to withstand recrystallization and to give a texture and mouthfeel that’s very similar to actual sugar. I used two of my go to sweeteners, xylitol and stevia, and I also used inulin (polydextrose can also be used, as it’s much less expensive and has practically the exact same characteristics, but I happened to have some inulin on hand) for additional insurance against recrystallization, which can be a big problem with sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol. The resulting sauce is sweet without the bitter, and it has a great texture, very fudgy, just like I wanted it to be. Oh, and it’s fantastic on ice cream, too!
Ingredients
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup isomalt
3/4 cup xylitol
1/4 tsp. liquid stevia
2 Tbsp. inulin
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa
6 oz. good quality, unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a heavy saucepan, mix together xylitol, isomalt, inulin, salt, and cocoa. Add coconut milk, stevia, and half of the chocolate and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and the sweeteners completely dissolved.
2. Reduce heat and continue cooking at a low boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the remaining chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract (or other flavoring) and stir until the chocolate has melted and the sauce is smooth. Serve warm over ice cream or other desserts. The sauce should keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, and it can be easily reheated in the microwave or on the stove top before serving.
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