A festive option for parties -- and a way to use that fondue pot that's gathering dust on your shelf -- is chocolate fondue. The effect is grand, but it's actually very easy to do.
The word "fondue" comes from the French "fondre": to melt. That's exactly what you do with the chocolate. Heat half a cup of cream, chop 12 ounces of good-quality dark chocolate, and stir the chocolate into the cream till it melts completely.
Pour the chocolate into your fondue pot or chafing dish.
Prepare some things to dip into the chocolate:
- cut-up fruits, from strawberries to slices of banana or pear
- cubes of pound cake or angel food cake
- meringues
- simple cookies like ladyfingers or shortbread
- crystallized ginger
- marshmallows (cut them in half and roll in graham cracker or Oreo crumbs for extra fun)
- marzipan
- cheesecake bites (buy them, or cut a cheesecake into bite-sized pieces)
No fondue pot? Use a double boiler and gather around the stove. Fondue forks are great, but regular forks are fine, too. We recommend the fondue pot for more formal gatherings, but the stove-side approach is fun and messy for casual evenings.
Add variety by stirring in a spoonful of peanut butter, or using Sweetique eggs instead of plain dark chocolate. Use your imagination -- you can't go wrong!
