Chocolate Fondue

Chocolate fondue, like its more popular antecedent cheese fondue, appears at the table in a cleverly designed pot suspended over a source of heat. A lively presentation at formal social occasions and a guaranteed conversation starter at parties, chocolate fondue delights all the senses at once. Many varieties of this dessert exist, providing a chef or party planner an infinite variety of recipes to coordinate with any menu. Tremendously popular in the 1970s, chocolate fondues dropped out of sight for several years, but have since returned to enjoy unprecedented renown.

Chocolate fondue can be served in any number of specially designed dishes. The same fondue pots that maintain the ideal temperature and texture of savory fondues function just as well for dessert fondues. A chocolate fondue should be prepared on a stove top or in a microwave and transferred to a fondue dish (traditionally called a "caquelon") immediately before service. Chocolate Goes with Everything As with savory fondues, thousands of recipes for dessert fondues can be found online or in specialty cookbooks. In addition to milk chocolate, gourmets have created concoctions of dark chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, marshmallow, peanut butter, and fruit liquors. Other common ingredients include evaporated milk, sugar, or heavy cream.

Whereas savory fondues generally use bread, dessert fondues add another layer of interest: cookies, macaroons, shortcake, nuts, biscuits, brioche, leaves of mint, or homemade candies can all be dipped into the heated fondue, creating a nearly limitless variety of flavor combinations.

Chocolate fondue is usually served with a platter of cut fruit. Any kind of fruit will suffice, but if possible avoid those with inedible seeds. Certain fruits, like citrus or melon, must be peeled before serving. The fruit should be sliced or cubed to make it as visually attractive as possible. Look for interesting fruits with novel shapes, such as star fruits or peeled kiwis, to accent more common fruits, such as apples or strawberries.