How To Make Chocolate Fondue: The Best, Easiest Method
published about 1 hour ago
In my world, fondue is just another word for fun with food. I mean, poking food onto sticks and dipping it into something melty suddenly makes the meal way more interesting. Proof of this is how much my daughter’s eyes light up whenever I mention chocolate fondue.
While a smooth pot of melted chocolate surrounded by a full spread of dippers may look fancy, it’s way, way easier than making a cake, pie, or cookies — and everyone gets to choose their own dessert adventure. Here’s a step-by-step guide on the very best way to get in on the fondue fun.
Chocolate Fondue Ingredients
Making fondue is as simple as melting chocolate, right? Well, not quite. Melted chocolate is quite thick and can be a little unstable and prone to seizing (which means turning grainy or separating). Adding some liquid helps thin it out and stabilizes it into an ideal dipping texture.
Most recipes call for a lot of heavy cream, but I’ve found a mix of heavy cream and milk makes for a chocolate fondue that still retains a good chocolate flavor but isn’t too heavy . Semisweet and bittersweet chocolates need slightly different amounts of liquid to stay smooth, but going with 1 cup of liquid (equal parts milk and cream) for every 10 ounces of chocolate provides good, consistent results no matter the type of chocolate used.
As for the chocolate, the easiest route to go is just buying chocolate chips. But feel free to use bars of chocolate instead (just chop it up first). You can also add an extra boost of flavor with your favorite liqueur, too.
Making Chocolate Fondue (with or Without a Fondue Pot)
To avoid burning the chocolate, you’ll use a technique borrowed from making chocolate ganache: Heat up the liquids first, then dump in the chocolate and let it sit off the heat for a few minutes. This will start the melting process so that all you have to do is give everything a good stir to incorporate. When it’s all completely smooth, pour it into the fondue pot for serving. If the chocolate starts to get grainy, don’t fret: Just stir in more milk a teaspoon at a time until it smooths out. If it starts to burn on the bottom of the pot, just turn off the fondue fuel, as the fondue will stay warm on its own for quite awhile.
No fondue pot? No problem: Just place the saucepan of melted chocolate right onto the table on a trivet and dip away. If it starts to cool off, a little bit of time over low heat will warm it right back up.
Dipping Options for Chocolate Fondue
Now that we’ve got that perfectly smooth chocolate fondue ready to go, it’s time to pick the dippers. Sky’s the limit really, but aim to have a good combination of textures and flavors. I like to think of things in categories so that I end up with a good variety.
- Cookies and other sweets: Raid the cookie aisle and grab some pound cake. Don’t forget to check your kid’s candy stash for some holiday remnants.
- Fresh and dried fruit: Berries are favorites, but whatever you choose, make sure it’s cut into bite-sized pieces and thoroughly dried after washed. Water is the enemy of fondue.
- Savory options: Pretzels, crispy bacon, and potato chips are delicious options for those who like to break things up with something salty.
- Garnishes for sprinkling: A little flaky salt, crushed freeze-dried fruit, or even Pop Rocks add a welcome pop of texture.
Fondue Etiquette
If it’s your first time fondue-ing, there are a few tips you can choose to follow (or go rogue!).
- Reserve the fondue fork for dipping . First up is that you use the fondue fork (or skewer, if you don’t have one) for dipping but not for eating. Drop the dipped item onto your plate, then use a different utensil for eating.
- Make two platters of dippers rather than one . Divide everything onto two serving plates so that it’s within reaching distance on either side of the pot. That way, people don’t have to stand up or reach an arm over the fondue pot to skewer their next bite.
- Have fun! Try something unexpected as a dipper, and dare each other to try wacky combinations.
Oh, and by the way: Leftover fondue chocolate makes a fabulous hot chocolate base. You’re welcome.
How to Make Easy Chocolate Fondue
Yield Serves 4 to 6 , Makes about 2 cups
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 3 minutes
- shellfish-free
- fish-free
- Calories 332
- Fat 22.3 g (34.3%)
- Saturated 13.3 g (66.3%)
- Carbs 37.4 g (12.5%)
- Fiber 3.5 g (14.1%)
- Sugars 30.0 g
- Protein 3.6 g (7.1%)
- Sodium 281.9 mg (11.7%)
Ingredients
For the fondue:
- 10 ounces
semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (about 1 3/4 cups) or chocolate, or a mixture
- 1/2 cup
heavy cream
- 1/2 cup
whole, 2%, or 1% milk, plus more as needed
-
Pinch kosher salt
-
Optional: 1 to 2 tablespoons liqueur, such as chocolate (Godiva), hazelnut (Frangelico), almond (amaretto), orange (Grand Marnier), or coffee (Kahlúa)
Dipping options:
-
Cookies: rolled wafers, biscotti, meringues, chocolate sandwich, shortbread
-
Other sweets: marshmallows, brownies, rice krispy treats , pound cake, graham crackers, doughnuts, madeleines
-
Fresh fruit: strawberries, raspberries, bananas, apples, pineapple, orange segments
-
Dried fruit: apricots, pineapple, citrus peel, banana chips, apple chips, crystallized ginger
-
Savory: thick-cut salted potato chips, pretzels, Ritz crackers, cooked thick-cut bacon, peanut-butter pretzels, sesame breadsticks, Cheetos, Carrs whole-wheat crackers, Wheat Thins, Cheez-Its, Triscuits, plain pita chips
-
Garnishes: flaky salt, shredded coconut, chopped toasted nuts, Pop Rocks, crushed freeze-dried fruit
Equipment
-
Chef’s knife and cutting board
-
Fondue pot with fuel (optional)
-
Fondue forks or skewers
-
Measuring cups and spoons
-
Small saucepan
-
Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
-
Platters
Instructions
-
Prep all the items to be dipped. Rinse and dry off fruit. Cut everything into bite-sized pieces, with the exception of things that are dipped in by hand, such as rolled wafer cookies.
-
Arrange the dippers on a platter. Arrange everything to be dipped on a platter, or divide onto 2 platters instead for easier access on both sides of the fondue pot. Place any garnishes like flaky salt or chopped nuts in little bowls.
-
Chop the chocolate. If not using chocolate chips, chop 10 ounces chocolate into pea-sized pieces.
-
Heat the milk and cream. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just gently simmering.
-
Add the chocolate and salt. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and a pinch of kosher salt. Do not stir and let sit for 2 minutes.
-
Stir until smooth. Stir with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and the fondue is smooth. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons liqueur if desired.
-
Transfer to the fondue pot. Pour the mixture into a fondue pot. Light the fuel and serve with dippers. If the fondue gets too thick or grainy, turn off the fondue fuel and stir in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it smooths out again. No fondue pot? No problem! Just dip straight from the pot or transfer to a ceramic bowl. Reheat the fondue as needed over low heat if it thickens up or cools off.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftover fondue can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks and remelted over low heat.
Christine Gallary
Food Editor-at-Large
Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram .
Follow Christine
Source : food
Posting Komentar
Posting Komentar