Adessert sauce is asauce used fordesserts. It is drizzled or poured atop various desserts, and is also used for plate decoration. Dessert sauce adds flavor, moisture, texture and color to desserts, may be cooked or uncooked, and is sometimes prepared as ahard sauce with the addition of alcoholic beverages. It is used in various manners to add flavor to and enhance the visual presentation of desserts.
Dessert sauce is typically drizzled or poured atop various desserts, and may also be drizzled or poured on the plate. Dessert sauce examples includecaramel sauce,custard,crème anglaise, chocolate sauce,[2]dulce de leche,[3] fruit sauces such asblueberry sauce,[4]raspberry sauce[5][6] andstrawberry sauce.[6] Raspberry sauce may be strained using asieve to remove the seeds from the sauce.[6] Dessert sauce adds flavor, moisture, texture, and color to desserts.[7][8] It may be cooked or uncooked.[7]
Dessert sauce is sometimes prepared as ahard sauce with the addition of alcoholic beverages, such asbourbon,[9]brandy[10] orliqueur.[11] Desserts with hard sauces can be servedflambéed[12] because theethyl alcohol in distilled beverages is flammable. Drops of lemon flavoring may be added to the sauce as a fireaccelerant.[12]
Dessert sauces are used on many desserts such as cake, cheesecake, pound cake, and ice cream.[13] Dry and firm desserts may be enhanced by the use of a dessert sauce that soaks into the dessert, which adds moisture and flavor.[14]
Dessert sauce can be used to add visual art to desserts, by using the sauce to paint designs and imagery on them.[8][15] A plastic squeeze bottle full of sauce can be used to aid in decoration.[15] Dessert sauce is also used on plates that desserts are placed upon, and can be arranged in an artistic design.[8] A toothpick or knife can be used to swirl the sauce on plates to create various designs.[8]
Cheesecake with a dessert sauce on the plate
A dessert with a caramel sauce decoration on the plate
Some companiesmass-produce dessert sauces, such asBritish Sugar[1] andThe Hershey Company,[16] and market them under various brand names. These products are typically available for consumers in grocery stores and supermarkets.
^abHines, D.; Hatchett, L.; Stern, M.; Stern, J. (2014).The Dessert Book. University Press of Kentucky. p. 275.ISBN978-0-8131-4467-2. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2015.