Chocolate syrup

I have been having some intense chocolate milk cravings lately.

I cannot use Hershey's syrup though. Not with an ingredient list as follows:

High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sugar, water, cocoa, contains 2% or less of: potassium sorbate (preservative), salt, mono- and diglycerides, polysorbate 60, xanthan gum, and vanillin (artificial flavor).

Polysorbate 60 tastes so good; and why splurge on vanilla when you can just use vanillin, right?

Yuck. I'm not sure why we have a bottle in our fridge still. It actually expired in May 2009. Maybe it's time to throw that out. I'm sure potassium sorbate doesn't keep things good that long.

Of course, by now, there are multitudes of "organic" chocolate syrup out there. But when even Azure is selling a 22 oz bottle for $4.15...not really in my grocery budget. I don't care what people say, eating more natural, local and organic foods is waaaaayyyyyyyy more expensive. So I don't buy stuff like this in order to keep a somewhat reasonable grocery bill.

But when I have a craving, I get motivated, and hey, if Hershey's and Santa Cruz Organic can make it, why can't I?

I can, very easily, it turns out. I looked at a few recipes and combined a couple to make what I deemed appropriate. I really wanted to do Alton Brown's, just because I love him and his show, but I didn't want corn syrup in my chocolate syrup. If my agave nectar wasn't missing, I'm thinking I could have subbed that in (and yes, the agave nectar is missing. I...am speechless about that. I know I opened a new bottle only a couple weeks ago. I'm blaming it on Chris, but guaranteed it turns up somewhere in the black hole of our pantry soon).

I used rapadura for half of the required sugar; I think next time I'll go with a full 1 c. of rapadura and 1/2 c. of sugar. I actually prefer the taste of rapadura by this point, and I think that the rest of the family is ok with that. 

Chocolate syrup

Makes approx. 2 cups

• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. cocoa powder
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. rapadura 

Bring the above ingredients to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer a few minutes to thicken up a little. Remove from heat and add:

• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Let cool and store in fridge.

I thought ours tasted almost exactly like Hershey's syrup. I was hoping for something a little better, but I think it's because of the nasty cocoa powder I purchased from Azure. I was being cheap and bought their bulk, unnamed organic cocoa powder. Next time, I will splurge on the Rapunzel brand, or even just can the whole organic thing and stick with a more high quality cocoa (mmmmm...Scharffen Berger....). In the meantime, I have a 5-pound bag of cheapy stuff to plug through--well, it's at least half gone by now.

Hahaha, beware if I bring you brownies...you only think I'm being nice :)