Chocolate Midnight Fondue

Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 5 minutes Servings: 6-8

Here's the “little black dress” of chocolate fondues….basic elegant and adaptable. Choose a good quality chocolate for this fondue. If you prefer to forgo the alcohol altogether, substitute an equal amount of one of the bottle syrups used for flavoring coffee drinks, or 1 teaspoon vanilla, almond or orange extract. Serve with donut holes, nut cookies, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, mango, pretzels, small squares of waffle, frozen bits of cheesecake or angel or pound cake bites.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream Dash of salt 1 pound bittersweet and/or semisweet chocolate, chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In medium pan, heat cream and salt over low heat til hot but not boiling. Gradually stir in chocolate, letting each addition melt before adding more. Stir in extract. Transfer to a ceramic fondue pot and set over a lot flame. Regulate flame under fondue to keep it as low as possible. If it begins to boil, turn off heat.

VARIATIONS:

Chocolate almond fondue: Substitute almond extract for vanilla. Serve with fresh or dried picots, and small bowls of chopped toasted almonds on the side to roll the chocolate coated bites in Chocolate Fondue a L'Orange: Substitute orange extract for the vanilla. Chocolate hazelnut fondue: Substitute Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur for the vanilla extract. For added richness, stir in 3 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread, such as Nutella, until melted and smooth. Chocolate Pina Colada Fondue: Substitute ½ teaspoon rum extract and ½ teaspoon coconut extract for the vanilla. Serve with fresh or dried pineapple chunks, and small bowls of sweetened flaked coconut on the side to roll chocolate coated bites in. Chocolate Razzle Dazzle Fondue: Substitute framboise (raspberry eau de vie) or Chambord (black raspberry liqueur) for the cognac, and stir in 1 cup (6 oz) fresh raspberries. Chocolate Voodoo fondue: Substitute crème de banana for the vanilla extract. Serve with banana chips. Dark Chocolate Mint Fondue: Substitute mint extract for the vanilla.