Blake Lively's Go-To Dessert Is So Easy To Make

When your sweet tooth is calling, you need a dessert fix quick, and Blake Lively has just the thing. The actress has been known to make more involved recipes like raspberry crumbles, expertly decorated cakes, or her mom's key lime icebox pie, but when it comes to something fast, Lively will whip up a hot fudge sundae.

Food and cooking are a huge part of her life, so it is not surprising that her go-to fudge sauce is homemade. Don't worry; it still comes together in a flash. All you need is a bar of chocolate and some heavy whipping cream. Melt the chocolate bar, warm the cream, and stir the two ingredients together — that's it! Technically, this is closer to a traditional chocolate ganache than hot fudge, but who's asking? The ice cream sundae police? Drizzle the warm chocolate sauce over your favorite ice cream, and dessert is served in a matter of minutes.

First, finely chop a bar of chocolate. Cutting it down into fine pieces rather than just breaking it apart helps with even melting. To save yourself a step, quality chocolate chips will work here too. As far as applying heat to chocolate, you do have to exercise some care. Chocolate burns pretty easily, so you have to warm it up gently.

One option is a double boiler. Heat a saucepan of water to a simmer, and then place a heat-proof bowl with the chocolate pieces on top. Stir constantly until the chocolate is fully melted and silky. You can also use a microwave, but don't just set it and forget it — you will end up with a lumpy, scorched mess. You need to heat the chocolate in 15 to 30 second bursts, stirring between each round. It is also helpful to lower the power on the microwave down to about 30%. If your chocolate does clump up during the melting process, you can fix seized chocolate with boiling water.

The final step is to whisk in warmed heavy cream. It's very important that the cream is warm because adding it cold can cause the chocolate to seize. Alternatively, warm the heavy cream until it just barely comes to a simmer, and then pour it over the chocolate pieces. After a few minutes, you will be able to stir the two ingredients together to make a yummy, smooth chocolate sauce.

Savor Blake Lively's chocolate sauce as is, or add a little extra hit of flavor. Any number of extracts — think vanilla, almond, peppermint, orange, or coconut — are all delicious with chocolate. Add in vanilla bean paste or some instant espresso powder for a sophisticated touch, and for a richer take, you can even melt in a pat or two of butter. Lively prefers the salted variety, which makes for a buttery chocolate sauce that pairs excellently with salty roasted pistachios or toasted sesame seeds.

Lively also really likes sprinkles on her hot fudge sundae, which go perfectly with classic finishes like a dollop of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top. You can really make this dessert your own with candies, crushed-up cookies, chopped nuts, diced fruit, or a more unconventional ice cream sundae topping. Pair your perfect sweet treat with a "Gossip Girl" binge-watching session or an "It Ends With Us" movie night!