Chocolate orange sauce is one of those versatile sweet sauces that you can use for confections and savory food. It’s a good combination of rich and tangy, married into one decadent sauce.
The flavors of chocolate and oranges combined create a delicious party in your mouth. It’s not a widely loved flavor combination but it certainly is an elegant one. The citrus fruit balances the richness of the chocolate and creates an aroma that wakes up our senses while eating it. It’s such a luxurious combination that it is even used as a scent for non-food products.
How to pick the best chocolate and oranges
We recommend using dark bittersweet chocolate when you’re planning to combine it with orange. The whole amour of this combination is that the citrus flavor deepens the flavor of the dark chocolate. If the orange were paired with milk chocolate or white chocolate, it wouldn’t be so bad. It’s just that, it wouldn’t be as sophisticated. If it’s sophistication you’re looking for, dark chocolate is the way to go.
If you’re looking into creating a more neutral and sweet combination, orange marmalades tend to taste well with white chocolate flavored cakes. But since we’re making a sauce, we’re going for dark chocolate.
As for the orange, it’s always best to go with the sweeter kind. Mandarin oranges are best to use if you’re using them for the juice and the sweetness. If you’re after the rind of the orange, a standard orange is better to use because the rind is a lot more composed.
Can I use this chocolate sauce for both desserts and savory dishes like duck?
Chocolate orange sauce isn’t just perfect for confections but it goes so well with seared or roasted duck as well. There’s something about duck that calls for chocolate orange sauce. It’s probably the gaminess of the poultry that the chocolate masks and the orange balances. Regardless, chocolate orange sauce, the less sweet version of it goes very well with savory dishes.
Can I use orange liqueur instead of orange juice?
Orange liqueur is available everywhere. It’s a kind of liqueur flavor that is widely used for food and beverages. It’s also one of orange juice’s best substitutes when making sauces. Use orange liqueur for that extra kick in alcohol and slight sweetness. It’s good to use this if you’re using dark and white chocolate.
Ingredients
- Bittersweet Dark Chocolate
To make this sauce, we’re using dark chocolate to let the orange flavor shine and so that we could put it to more use like for savory dishes as well. White and milk chocolate don’t go so well with savory dishes.
- Heavy Cream
Our liquid choice for this recipe is heavy cream. It adds richness to the sauce and creates that balance between two powerful ingredients that is chocolate and orange.
- Sugar
Use granulated sugar for this so that it’ll dissolve easier.
- Light Corn Syrup
Light corn syrup plays a huge part in creating our desired consistency for the sauce. It adds a little bit of sweetness and prolongs shelf life as well.
- Butter
In order to complement the presence of cream in our recipe, we’ve added butter. Other than that, butter really adds extra flavor to our sauce.
- Orange Zest
We’re using the humble orange zest so as not to overpower the flavor of the chocolate. It’s a better form of orange as well so that the consistency won’t get compromised.
- Grand Marnier
We love that extra kick and concentrated flavor of alcohol and orange. Grand Marnier is a good orange liqueur to use for chocolate orange sauce.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t keep the zest in the sauce for too long while cooking
Cooking the zest releases its oils and flavors. It’s a delicious addition to the recipe. However, if you cook it for too long, it has the tendency of turning your sauce bitter. Make sure to strain the zest before further simmering the sauce.
- Do not cook the chocolate
It is unnecessary to cook the chocolate. Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the chocolate to dissolve.
- Do not cook the Grand Marnier
Cooking the orange liqueur would reduce the alcohol. That’s not what you want.
How do you make orange sauce from scratch?
In a saucepan, combine the light corn syrup, cream, sugar and orange zest. Simmer under medium heat until the liquid is slightly reduced for around 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool. Strain the zest out and reheat the sauce just until hot. Remove from heat.
Add in the chocolate and continuously stir until the chocolate is dissolved. Whisk in the butter and mix until smooth. Finally, whisk in the Grand Marnier.
You may serve the sauce hot or cold.
Cheesecake with chocolate orange sauce
Cheesecake is a very much-loved form of cake. It has a neutral but delicious flavor that can be eaten alone or with toppings like fruits, other confections, and sauces. Cheesecake is typically eaten with fruit compote and or a sauce. Cheesecake served with chocolate orange sauce is like hitting two birds with one stone with the addition of the decadent chocolate and the zing of the orange fruit.
What else goes well with chocolate orange sauce?
Chocolate orange sauce is a special kind of sauce that goes with many kinds of desserts but not all. It’s best to pair it with chocolate desserts and desserts with a more neutral base.
You can try drizzling chocolate orange sauce over vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream and even butter ice cream. The chocolate and orange flavor will stand out yet keep the neutral flavors of the ice cream.
We’ve also tried pairing chocolate orange sauce with choux paste-based desserts like cream puffs and eclairs. The idea is to drizzle this delicious sauce over dessert bases with not much to overpower your palate. You can even try it with pancakes and waffles!
