With versatile Fudge Sauce, desserts are covered

Here's a truth you can count on: Old-Fashioned Fudge Sauce is good on practically everything. Today's recipe has become the backbone of our easiest desserts. Here are some of our favorite ways to use it:

• Spooned over thawed Belgium cream puffs. (Look for them in the dessert section of the frozen foods.)

• Cut ordinary ice cream sandwiches into squares, and drizzle them with fudge sauce. Simply place a decorative pick in each piece, and you've got fancy dessert fare.

• Premium ice cream, any flavor, is improved with a drizzle of fudge sauce. Turn it into a sundae with whipped cream and a cherry.

• Drizzled over baked croissants (frozen or from the bakery). This is perfect for breakfast, brunch or as a sweet finish to any meal.

• Slices of butter pound cake (either frozen, thawed or bakery fresh) topped with Old-Fashioned Fudge Sauce is so much more than cake and chocolate.

• Spoon a dollop over a bowl of fresh strawberries or raspberries.

• Eaten straight from a spoon. (We couldn't resist adding our kids' favorite way to enjoy this delicious sauce.)

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, you'll want to keep a batch of this quick and easy sauce on hand for all your dessert emergencies.

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OLD-FASHIONED FUDGE SAUCE

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Cook's note: The sauce can be refrigerated; covered for up to 2 weeks; or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave oven, uncovered, on high until warmed through, about 1 minute.

3 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened baking chocolate

4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter

1 small can (5 ounces) evaporated milk

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 pinches salt

1. Put the chocolate, butter and evaporated milk in a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave, uncovered, on high, until the chocolate and butter are nearly melted, about 2 minutes, stopping once halfway through to stir. After the cooking time ends, remove the cup from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate and butter finish melting.