Xmas Chocolate Fondue

Does it ever seem just a little bit strange that - over 220 Christmases since the British landed on these shores - we still put ourselves through the annual torture of sweating and labouring to produce those rich cold-weather goodies such as Christmas cake, roast turkey and ham, Christmas pudding, mince pies, shortbread and gingerbread houses?

Most of us stop short of mulled wine, but otherwise you could cut and paste a traditional Aussie Christmas into 18th-century England.

Perhaps we should take a hint from the younger generation. Most say they don't even like Christmas pudding!

Where I live in Sydney, Christmas Day can be 38C with 70 percent humidity. Finally, this year my simple summer-friendly dessert will be a fun version of a retro-favourite. Fondue.

If the fondue forks went out in your 1990s garage sale, don't worry. Use regular forks or bamboo skewers. To make it easier and to avoid jabbing across the table, provide personal pots of the dips and several platters of fruit. Keep extra chocolate fondue in its pot warming in the centre of the table and replenish as needed. However, on a typical Australian Christmas day you may not even need to light the candle underneath!

You'll need platters of mixed various fruits - as colourful as possible - peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Chocolate fondue:

Heat 600g dark cooking chocolate until melted in a bowl over water boiling in a saucepan (making sure the bowl does not touch the water) OR break up the chocolate and place in a bowl, then heat in short bursts in a microwave until melted. Stir occasionally, if using the microwave, as the chocolate may fool you by retaining its shape even though it has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in a little pure vanilla, kirsch or other liqueur for flavouring, then add 600ml of cream and mix well until all the cream is incorporated and the fondue is glossy. This should serve 12 or more, easily*.

The chocolate is enough for a decadent end to the meal, but you can also provide pots of whipped cream, yoghurt, fruit sauce, or even melted Swiss cheese to dip the fruit pieces in. Extras may include chopped nuts, toasted coconut or - for the littlies - hundred and thousands!

Get the idea? Make it a fun interactive dish, and you need never again hover over a Christmas pudding steaming for hours in a pot on a hot day.

*Leftover chocolate fondue can be cooled and rolled into small balls the size of a marble. Toss these in cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles to make truffles to accompany coffee for after-Christmas drop-in guests.

Merry Christmas!

Comments

0 #2 Burnt — Sallyh 2012-11-17 22:49

Hi Kate,
It sounds like you overheated the chocolate which is why you smelled it burning. Possibly the sugars in it turned to toffee - hence the graininess. Or there may have been some liquid on the bowl or a spoon that 'seized' the chocolate.

The ideal way to melt chocolate is in a double boiler over simmering water, but I find I can do it in the microwave if I am careful - 20-second bursts until it is JUST melted.
Better luck next time!

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0 #1 Burnt :( — Kate 2012-11-17 22:43

Oh wow, you're right in your comparison of the Australian vs English Christmas...they are still very alike! We tend to do prawns though too, as an Australian touch :)
I've made fondue before, but usually we use normal chocolate. I used milk cooking chocolate this time, like you did, but even after letting it melt for a while, it started to be grainy and I could smell burning. I took it off and ate it unmelted (and my poor deserted banana slices separately :( ) and it tasted kind of crunchy? I alternated between a candle and the microwave (I was impatient!), but made sure I stirred it very often, and that's how I've done it before. Do you know what the difference was? Why did your cooking chocolate work and mine didn't? :)

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