Chocolate Fondue

[Malawry]

I already decided not to do the marshmallows, Hillvalley. I bought some today while at the store. One of these days I will attempt Nightscotsman's famous marshmallows, though. It may be for friends instead of for the girls. Pretzels are already on the docket, as are graham crackers. I'll bake a couple of pound cakes to dice.

While Carbo's recipe sounds good, the cocoa powder I have at work is simply crap--I use it to dust things occasionally and that's about it. I haven't the time or energy to source a better cocoa powder, so I will almost definitely be using the Noel pistoles to make a thin ganache. I plan to make one big batch and divide it among the 4 or 5 fondue pots my girls say will be given to me for this occasion. If I need to refill I will. I like peanut butter and chocolate together, but am avoiding nut-type dippers and additions in case one of the guests has a nut allergy. (The one girl with nut allergies in the sorority graduated, fortunately, but I still have to consider other guests.)

I thought frozen bananas in fondue would be yummy--like a frozen chocolate-dipped banana is yummy. But if it would muck up the fondue, or fall apart as soon as you dipped it, I wouldn't use them. So that was sort of my question--has anybody tried frozen bananas in fondue? I can always buy fresh, firmer bananas and use those without freezing them.

[cakewench]

yikes, I didn't see the other recipe up there. The one I was referring to was the one which was simply blocks of chocolate and cream.

Which is NOT to say that the cocoa one wouldn't be nice as well, it's just that I don't have personal experience making that version.

[Jaymes]

As a veteran of many Chocolate Fondue Wars, I can tell you that bananas don't work particularly well, although they always sound like a good idea, and frozen ones work better than not. And they do taste great with chocolate, of course. Regardless, though, it's been my experience that they are too soft to hang on properly to the skewers, and they fall off into the chocolate. And the pieces are too soft and mushy and small to be able to hold onto with one's fingers. Still, they are a chocolate fondue staple, so what do I know.

Apples do nicely and you can toss the chunks with lemon juice to keep them from darkening as they sit on the tray. If you do long apple wedges, you can just hang on to one end and dip the other into the fondue without a skewer. Also, those rolled Pepperidge Farm cookies (I forget the name) are really delicious and easy to manage. As are macaroons.

Large strawberries (leave the stems on) are also easy to dip without skewers.

Dried fruits (someone mentioned apricots) are always good, and hold up well during the dipping.

Edited September 6, 2004 by Jaymes (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Oreo Cookies are fun to dip in Chocolate Fondue.

How about a White Chocolate pot or two??

[chocophile]

If It's Not Too Late:

Many Fondue pots have absolutely terrible heat control and very thin bottoms making it very easy to scorch and ruin the sauce within. Scorched chocolate does not smell very nice, leat alone taste good (did this once on New Year's Eve - one of my guests brought a fondue pot for me to try and I did and scorched the chocolate; the pot was thinner and flame hotter than I was used to).

Heavying up on the dairy (cream/butter) with a tad of corn syrup can raise the scorch point - but make sure the sterno flames are set to very low.

:Clay

[Malawry]

It's not too late, no. I don't know what the fondue pots I will be using look like. How can I regulate the Sterno heat? I think most pots have cups for Sterno a set distance from the bottom of the pot. Should I leave the cans partway covered?

FWIW I plan to transfer the fondue to the pots at the very last minute, since I'm aware this can be a big problem.

[Carbo]

The fondue will be gone before anyone thinks twice about a heating element. If you need to keep it warm at the table a double-boiler/chafing dish set-up is the only thing that would work - but, I would set the pots on the table, on a napkin or trivet-thingie. Any flame is going to make a cocoa-raclette. A votive light if you must - 6'' away. or else.

Bring your dip-ables up to room temp. so that the choc. doesn't cool too fast.

Re: the cocoa-powder fondue recipe,

Any cocoa powder will work - even chalky looking stuff will get very dark if you let the cream and choc. pdr. reduce slowly. It's fun to try this method once just for kicks.

How much are you going to make ? 1 qt. per 10 ?

[Wendy DeBord]

I think I'd avoid using sterno...........I just don't think your going to need it because your ganche will remain soft enough for dipping for quite a long time. If you add a little more cream or corn syrup to your ganche that will thin it down as extra insurance for it remaining liquid. (oops I just scrolled down and saw Chocophile said the same thing) o.K..........I'm dittoing Chocophiles response.

To use a sterno you must have a water bath underneath...........so your double boiling to protect the chocolate ganche (or any other food too will have this issue).

I think the main focus should be on how you present your dipping options. You can arrange them very creatively. You could put together screwers and fan them out into a halfed fruit like a cantelop (put some palm leafs in for design sake). You could lay them out like a sushi plate. You could cut your items into shapes. Like cut your fruits with a flower cookie cutter.........arrange them like standing or laying flowers. Line your serving platter with banana leafs and dye your dipping skewers green. etc........

[EllenC]

May I suggest that if you are using apple wedges, you soak them in pineapple juice instead of lemon juice? Many people find the flavor much more appealing - especially with the chocolate. People always ask me what i do to keep my apples so fresh and taste so yummy.

[Malawry]

These are great ideas, guys. Especially yours on presentation, Sinclair--those ideas will really knock them dead, if I have time to implement a couple of them.

Carbo--is 1 quart per 10 girls a good measure of how much to make? I'm really a little lost on quantity here still.

[Jaymes]

May I suggest that if you are using apple wedges, you soak them in pineapple juice instead of lemon juice?  Many people find the flavor much more appealing - especially with the chocolate.  People always ask me what i do to keep my apples so fresh and taste so yummy.

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Boy, now there's a great idea. Pineapple juice. I'm doing that from now on. Thanks.

[Rachel Perlow]

4 or 5 fondue pots my girls say will be given to me for this occasion.

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This makes me nervous. The pots are not already in the house? I'd ask the girls to please get them for you ASAP as you need to measure them to determine how much fondue to make. Like jello molds, you should fill them with water, then measure the amount of water they hold, so you know how much you need to fill them all. Then you will also be ready to refill them in necessary.

[curlywurlyfi]

strips of candied orange peel are great in fondue; also shortbread fingers, gingersnaps, brandysnaps or Amaretti biscuits (the little crisp ones). And I sometimes add a pinch of cinnamon to the chocolate.

As for proportions, when I do it at home, 200g of dark chocolate melted in 250ml double cream feeds four, because it is super-rich and coming at the end of the meal.

And I second the comments about not needing a heat source. if you really think they won't snaffle up the chocolate quickly enough, what about putting the chocolate pots over bowls of warm water (not hot, or at least not hot enough to scald anyone)?

mmmm, chocolate fondue, drool drool.

[EllenC]

Boy, now there's a great idea.  Pineapple juice.  I'm doing that from now on.  Thanks. 

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Thanks Jaymes, Try playing with the varieties of apples as well. It makes a great compliment/contrast depending on the taste of the apple.

Ellen

[Wendy DeBord]

Your quantity is a hard to determine factor (as written, you need to see the size of those pots). You want to fill the pots enough so it doesn't look skimpy, yet expect that they won't finish it (scrapping up the bottom of the pot). Your going to have waste with this dessert, no way around it, also waste with the items being dipped.

The more pots to fill the more fondue needed, wasted. You could strain the ganche and use it in other applications at a later date if food cost is really tight.

As for the pineapple acid bath to control sensitive fruits from darkening.........I also use orange juice. I learned it from Michel Roux's book where he uses a combo of lemon and orange juice when making banana mousse. It's a wonderful tip........I really don't like fruits that have that heavy lemon taste and using other high in acid fruits does the same thing as the lemon....with-out as much taste impact (I think).

[Carbo]

Quantity - How rich will the meal be that you're preparing ? How many courses ? How many items will you serve with the fondue ? I figure that if you start with 1.5 gal. of cream it will give you a little less than 4oz. per person - not including the choc. or flavorings. Will they actually dip into the choc., or ladle some onto the goodies that they choose from a platter ? I think that 4-5 oz. per girl will be enough. Good Luck - please let us know how it goes, and what you ended up doing.

[Jaymes]

As for the pineapple acid bath to control sensitive fruits from darkening.........I also use orange juice. I learned it from Michel Roux's book where he uses a combo of lemon and orange juice when making banana mousse. It's a wonderful tip........I really don't like fruits that have that heavy lemon taste and using other high in acid fruits does the same thing as the lemon....with-out as much taste impact (I think).

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And when I'm slicing up a bunch of apples to use in a baked dessert -- like apple pie, for example -- I drop my sliced apples into a large bowl of Sprite or 7-Up. It, too, "holds" the apples, and imparts no discernable flavor whatsoever, that I can tell anyway.

[Malawry]

I'll try to get a look at the pots tomorrow, or if nothing else on Sunday when I go in to cater a BBQ they're hosting. (I love rush week, I tell ya.)

This is not a full meal. Normally I serve dinner around 5pm on Mondays but this Monday they want trays of sandwiches available between 3 and 4pm, the fondue ready for 5:30ish, and then I leave some trays with "healthy snacks" for late night post-game noshing. I'm not worried about them filling up or anything, and expect to have to provide a decent amount of everything. Many of the girls will be coming straight from class and will miss the sandwiches. They will be dipping into the fondue, not ladling.

As for food cost--it's the recruitment budget, not the grocery budget, so I'm not terribly worried about it. I will probably need to buy more pistoles afterwards though!

[mklynch]

Every time I've done chocolate fondue, I ALWAYS made too much.

We never used fondue pots or chafers, just a good preheated heavy ceramic type bowl and had no problem with it. I did a simple ganache with half cream, half cocolate and a squirt of vanilla.

Half the girls are going to be on a diet of some sort, so don't be too surprised if the fruit gets hit heavy.

[Malawry]

Half the girls are going to be on a diet of some sort, so don't be too surprised if the fruit gets hit heavy.

You would be surprised. These girls eat.

[Malawry]

Fondue Night is over. I ended up making about 20 cups of fondue, which filled the 5 pots I had nicely. Reality set in after a given point and I ended up just giving the girls fairly typical dippers--marshmallows, graham crackers, pound cake, strawberries, pineapple, mango and pretzels--without any "roll-ons" like sprinkles. I just didn't have time. The fondue was just a basic ganache with butter and sugar added--I used a little more corn syrup and sugar than usual, thinking they might make the dark chocolate taste a little better to my girls.

Thanks to all for the advice here.

[Wendy DeBord]

So did the girls enjoy? Would you do this again?

[Malawry]

They ate all the dippers and most, but not quite all, of the chocolate. They sounded happy about it but no more or less happy than about all the other stuff I've done for them lately--this is Rush Week and I've been producing special menus and catering special events almost daily since last week. (I've been busting my ass for them and doing some really great food.)

I probably won't do fondue again any time soon; fondue overkill sounds like a bad idea. I may bring it out for the December study day (day off of classes before finals begin) when I expect to prepare a special dinner for them. I would like to take more time with the dippers, using some of your suggestions especially Sinclair, to make the whole fondue experience more special. I'm sorry I wasn't able to do that this time around, but what with rush events on Sunday and Tuesday bookending the Monday fondue party it just wasn't feasible.

[Wendy DeBord]

I certainly understand the concept of not having enough time! I fight that battle daily. These young women are lucky to have someone who cares and tries so hard!

[reesek]

<bump>

i'm making chocolate fondue for a party on saturday...this thread has been invaluable. i'm not attending the party in question and think it's safe to assume the host can follow detailed, but likely not complicated instructions. my one concern is temperature - my guess is that the fondue will need to be set up a couple of hours in advance of it being eaten. (i'm making a small menu of dips and spreads - this is the only sweet one...party starts at 8 so my bet is that it won't really be eaten until 10 or so).

number of guest - 20 to 25 and i'm thinking 1-2 ounces per person...does that seem skimpy?

malawry - how did the heating work out for you? if i add some corn syrup (how much?) to the mix will it stay more liquid? would chocolate chips be "better" to use than bar/bulk chocolate because they stay a little softer once melted?

any advice appreciated.