As ice-cream season kicks into high gear, our thoughts turn to toppings. Vanilla ice cream just tastes better when it is crowned with a cap of chocolate.
There are many chocolate options out there. The debate immediately came down to this: Syrup or sauce? Chocolate syrup, while admittedly less luxurious than fudgy chocolate sauce, does have its charms. It pours smoothly over scoops of ice cream and can easily be mixed into a glass of milk or pureed with milk and ice cream for a shake.
Chocolate sauce may be harder to get out of the jar and doesn’t blend well, but that’s because it is often so thick and deliriously fudgy that it demands to be paid special attention.
Because a case can be made for the merits of each, we decided to try both in separate tastings.
The syrups got slammed for having a thin flavor and being too sweet. The winner, Hershey’s, won points for its flavor and balanced texture. The sauces received more enthusiastic praise. House brands from specialty stores such as Ghirardelli and Williams-Sonoma tasted of more expensive ingredients, and were priced accordingly. Overall, the sauces had a richer chocolate flavor and a more comforting texture. (Hershey’s, a less expensive alternative, made a strong showing in third place.)
Items were scored on a nine-point scale, with nine being the highest.
And the winners are . . .
Chocolate syrup
1. Hershey’s Syrup (16 ounces, $1.25; 8 cents per ounce. 4.6 points.) “Enticing, buttery.” “Medium texture; not too thick or thin.” “Mild flavor, but nice.”
2. Smucker’s Sundae Syrup (20 ounces, $2.39; 12 cents per ounce. 4.5 points.) “Very thick; clings well.” “Velvety-looking.” “Very sweet.”
Chocolate sauce
1. Ghirardelli Chocolate Fudge Sauce (11.7 ounces, $7.99; 68 cents per ounce. 7.6 points.) “Good chocolate taste with vanilla notes.” “Rich, milky finish without bitterness.” “Nice balance between thick and thin.”
2. Williams-Sonoma Hot Fudge Sauce (12 ounces, $10; 83 cents per ounce. 7.4 points.) “Very natural, dark chocolate flavor.” “Quite dark and glossy.” “Good thickness; coats well.”
Others tested
Syrups: 3. Nestle Nesquick Chocolate Syrup, 4.3 points. 4. Jewel Chocolate Flavored Syrup, 4 points. 5. Organic Ah!Laska Chocolate Syrup, 2.5 points.
Sauces: 3. Hershey’s Chocolate Shoppe Fudge Topping, 6.8 points. 4. Whole Foods Dark Chocolate Sauce, 6 points. 5. Chocolate Fudge Sauce (packaged for Williams-Sonoma), 5.8 points. 6. Mrs. Richardson’s Hot Fudge Topping, 5.2 points. 7. Smucker’s Special Recipe, 5 points. 8. Fran’s Dark Chocolate Sauce, 4.4 points. 9. Smucker’s Chocolate Fudge Topping, 4.2 points.
