Chocolate Bar Fondue



Ingredients



3/4 cup heavy cream

1 pound milk or dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Foods for dipping, such as fresh strawberries, store-bought angel

food cake (cut into 1-inch pieces), and dried fruit, such as pineapple

slices and figs

Preparation

In a small saucepan, over low heat, warm the cream and chocolate. Stir

until the chocolate melts. Transfer the fondue to a serving bowl.

Serve immediately with forks and foods for dipping.

Yield



Makes 8 servings

Chocolate Fondue
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons liqueur, such as Tia Maria, Amaretto, etc.
Stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Add liqueur.

Use as dip for fruits such as cherries, strawberries, sliced bananas, cubed pineapple etc. or cubes of cake.

NOTE: vanilla or almond extract may be substituted in smaller amount if liqueur is desired.

Chocolate Frangelico Fondue  

1/3 C. half-and-half
1/4 C. skim milk
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 C. sifted powdered sugar
1/4 C. water
2 T. Frangelico (hazelnut-flavored liqueur)
2 T. dark corn syrup
4 C. (1-inch) cubed angel food cake (about 3 oz.)
2 C. sliced banana
2 C. quartered small strawberries

In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, skim milk and chocolate. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until smooth, stirring constantly. Stir in the sugar, water, Frangelico and corn syrup. Cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Pour into a fondue pot. Keep warm over low flame. Serve with cake, banana and strawberries.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook's note: This creamy chocolate fondue will coat best if the banana and strawberries are briefly chilled before serving. You can substitute your favorite liqueur for the Frangelico.

FONDUE NEUCHATELOISE



1/2 lb (225 g) Gruyere cheese, shredded

1/2 lb (225 g) Emmentaler cheese, shredded

1 Tbs (15 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)

2 cups (500 ml) dry white wine (Neuchatel if possible)

1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised with the flat of a knife

2 Tbs (30 ml) kirsch (kirschwasser)

A grating of fresh nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 large crusty bread such as French or Italian, cut into

1-inch (3 cm) cubes



Toss the shredded cheeses and cornstarch together in a bowl until

thoroughly combined.



Combine the wine and garlic in a 2-quart (2 L) fondue pot or any flame-proof dish and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes

before removing and discarding the garlic. Lower the heat so the wine

barely simmers and add the cheese mixture a handful at a time, stirring

constantly with a fork and letting each handful of cheese melt completely

before adding another.



When all the cheese has been added and the fondue is smooth, stir in

the kirsch, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.



Place the fondue dish over an alcohol burner in the centre of the table

and serve with cubed bread. Traditionally, each diner spears a cube of

bread with a long fondue fork and dips it in the cheese mixture to coat

it completely before eating.



Fondue aficionados know that allowing a crust of burned cheese to

form on the bottom of the pot results in a treat which some consider

the best part of the meal.

SERVES 6 to 8 as an appetizer, or 4 to 6 as a main dish.

ITALIAN FONDUE



Wonderful Italian fondue made easily in the crockpot



1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained

8 ounces Mozzarella cheese

1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix

2 (15.00 ounces) cans tomato sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 lb sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup dry red wine

Italian bread, cut in chunks

In the crockpot combine beef, spaghetti sauce mix, tomato sauce and

cheeses. Cook on low for 2 hours. Turn switch to high. Dissolve

cornstarch in wine. Add to the crockpot and cook for additional 15

minutes on high. Dip Italian bread chunks in the fondue

Cherry Chocolate Fondue

1 package (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 jar (6 oz) maraschino cherries, well drained and quartered (reserve juice)
2 cans (15.25 oz each) Bartlett pear slices in heavy syrup, drained
1 pound cake or angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes

Place chocolate pieces and whipping cream in a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave for 1 minute or until chips are melted, stirring every 30
seconds. Stir in cherries and reserved cherry juice. Pour chocolate mixture into fondue pot. Use fondue forks or wooden picks to dip pear
slices and cake cubes into chocolate mixture. Makes 10 servings.

Easy Cheesy Fondue with Veggies



12 fingerling potatoes, cut in half, 1" baby potatoes may be substituted

1 TB extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 jigger dry drinking sherry (NOT cooking type)

1 cup half-and-half cream

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups steamed broccoli florets

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed of stems, tips reserved

2 TB chives, snipped or chopped

1/2 French baguette, cubed

12 cherry tomatoes

Cornichons or baby gherkin pickles

Marinated mushrooms

Pickled onions



Cover potatoes with water and bring the water to a boil. Salt the water and

simmer

potatoes 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender. Drain potatoes and return to

warm pot to dry

the potatoes. Drizzle potatoes with a little oil to keep them from

discoloring and to shine them

up.



Fill a second skillet or sauce pan with 2 inches of water. Cover and bring

the water to a boil on

the stovetop. Salt the water, replace the cover and reduce heat to simmer.



To a heavy sauce pan over moderate heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and the chopped

shallots. Sauté shallots

for 2 or 3 minutes, then add sherry and allow it to almost evaporate, a

minute or two.



Add half-and-half cream to the pan and reduce heat to low. Cut cream cheese

into 1" slices and add

it to the pot. Allow the cream cheese to slowly melt into the half-and-half,

5 minutes. Add Parmesan

and shredded Gruyere or Swiss to the sauce and stir until cheese is melted

and fully incorporated.



Stir in lemon juice. Season sauce with, nutmeg and black pepper. Place a

candle underneath a wire

rack or warm a fondue pot. Transfer cheese sauce to fondue pot or place

saucepan over wire rack and

burning candle.



To simmering, salted water, add broccoli and cook florets, covered, 3

minutes.

Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate and add asparagus tips. Cook

asparagus

tips 2 minutes, then remove with tongs to a plate.



Arrange the items for dipping on a large serving platter. Garnish the cooked

potatoes with chives.



Set the cubed baguette on the opposite end of the platter, to balance color.

Between potatoes and

bread, arrange cooked broccoli, asparagus and cherry tomatoes. Set out fondue

forks or bamboo skewers

for dipping. Place small dishes of cornichons, marinated mushrooms and

pickled onions near dipping

station for accompaniments.



Yield:  4 servings.

SWISS FONDUE

1 large clove garlic, cut in half

1 c. Chablis or other dry white wine

1 can Campbell's Cheddar cheese soup

1 lb. natural Swiss cheese, cubed or shredded

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

French or Italian bread cubes

Rub inside of fondue pot or saucepan with cut edge of garlic then

discard.In fondue pot, simmer wine.Blend in soup.Combine cheese

and cornstarch; stir into soup mixture.Heat until cheese melts stir now and

then.Spear bread with fondue fork and dip into fondue.Makes about 4

cups.

Beer-and-Cheddar Fondue



Stir occasionally when serving to keep blended.



Ingredients



1/2 pound ground pork sausage

6 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 (8-ounce) blocks Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup beer*

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Cubed French bread or sliced pears

Preparation

Cook ground pork sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat,

stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and remove

sausage from pan.



Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat; add onion and garlic, and

sauté until tender.



Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

Gradually add milk, stirring until thickened. Add cheese, stirring

until melted. Remove from heat; stir in sausage, beer, and next 3

ingredients. Transfer to a fondue pot or slow cooker; keep warm on

LOW. Serve with cubed French bread or sliced pears.



*Nonalcoholic beer may be substituted for regular beer.



Yield



Makes about 6 cups

Southern Living, OCTOBER 2003