Chocolate Fondue Recipes
Fondue took a sweet turn in the 1960s when a Swiss restaurateur named Konrad Egli swapped chocolate for cheese at his New York City restaurant, Chalet Suisse. Egli’s fondue was a mixture of heavy cream, Toblerone and kirsch served alongside petite walnut pastries and slices of Mandarin oranges. Pastry chefs have been playing with the dish ever since, and we’re not complaining. Rachel Thebault, owner of Tribeca Treats in New York City, uses Nutella in her fondue while Caroline Yeh of Temper Chocolates in Boston adds warming spices like cinnamon, clove, and ginger.
Don’t shy away from making this easy, elegant dessert at home. Chocolate fondue is ideal for dinner parties; besides being fun and interactive for guests, it’s a snap to assemble and easy to scale for a crowd. Making Spanish food? Try chef Andrew Zimmerman’s recipe for crunchy, cinnamon-dusted churros dunked in a pot of hot chocolate. Having a cocktail party? Follow our recipe from Kansas City Chocolatier Christopher Elbow and add a nip of whiskey to the melted chocolate. Serve the fondue with a plate of cut fruit, cookies, and pound cake and let guests choose what to dip.
Remember, the key to good fondue is using quality ingredients, particularly when it comes to choosing the chocolate. You can prepare most versions up to four days ahead of time; when you’re ready to eat, just reheat the chocolate mixture over low heat.
—Carrie Mullins
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Spiced Chocolate Fondue
Caroline Yeh, owner of the eight-month-old Temper Chocolates in Boston, sells extraordinary candies from small European and American producers. She's also an excellent home cook and baker with a passion for chocolate. Fragrant with cinnamon, clove, cardamom and ginger, her fondue holds up remarkably well at room temperature, which makes it good for parties—especially when it's served with gingerbread, apples or shortbread for dunking.
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Chocolate & Whiskey Liqueur
Christopher Elbow of Kansas City's Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates is a Midwestern pioneer. Elbow most recently worked as the pastry chef at the American Restaurant in Kansas City until demand for his chocolate petits fours convinced him to launch his own candy business in 2003. For his first annual employee Christmas party, he mixed up a chocolate-and-whiskey liqueur that's creamy, boozy and delicious—straight up, over ice or even over ice cream. Elbow says, "The consensus at the Christmas party was that if we could get a liquor license, we should sell this at our shop!" You can also make the recipe with vodka instead of whiskey for a more neutral flavor.
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Warm Churros and Hot Chocolate
Chef Andrew Zimmerman of Chicago's Del Toro grew up eating fluffy donuts in New Jersey, but now he favors churros—hot, crispy fried Spanish crullers. Zimmerman pipes the dough into a ribbed spiral, then coats the churros in crunchy sugar and cinnamon. They're perfect for dipping into hot chocolate.
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Chocolate-Caramel Sandwich Cookies
Rachel Thebault, owner of Tribeca Treats in New York City, has reimagined the humble Oreo as an indulgence that is spectacular as an afternoon snack or as the end to an elegant meal. She replaces the creamy center with gooey golden caramel and then dips the sandwich in rich dark chocolate. Or try dipping these cookies into nutella fondue.
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