When you've had a long day, or a long number of days in a row with a quick Saturday and Sunday in between which most of the time consists of putting away miles of piles of clothes and hitting the pet store before it closes, you just need to make yourself some chocolate fondue.
It's surprisingly easy. I just did it while washing the dishes. And I'm eating it while I compose this. All without an official chocolate fondue pot. And if you wait to do it when you have friends over, then you might as well never do it, because we all know that plans change and someone forgets to get the main ingredient - heavy cream.
How To Make Chocolate Fondue - Mista Style
Ingredients (for 1 person)
2 wrapped blocks of unsweetened chocolate (it's really 4 if you break them apart...Baker's is a good brand)
1 mound of white, granulated sugar
1 pint heavy cream
5-7 dashes salt
1 little sliver of butter (not margarine, it will interfere with the melting of the chocloate)
strawberries, banana, fruit of your choice
loaf of Angel Food cake
1 regular old cooking pot
1 wooden spoon
1 fondue fork (optional and recommended to get that fondue feeling)
note: after researching the differences between types of sugar (granulated, raw, brown), I have determined that all sugar is bad. So, for this recipe, it is not recommended to use honey to replace the sugar, or to replace the sugar at all. It is this cook's feeling that the chocolate concoction stirs best with the granulated sugar.
Over very low heat (gas is best) ie low flame, spread the butter on the bottom of the pot. Unwrap the chocolate and place in pan. Swirl around to get it going and to coat the bottom of the pot with chocolate. Cover with lid, but allow room for air to get in. Do dishes or some other activity close by so that you can stir the chocolate as it melts with a wooden spoon until creamy.
When chocolate has melted, pour in half a mound of sugar - just enough to sweeten the unsweetened chocolate. On top of the sugar, sprinkle in 4 dashes of salt. Stir. The mixture may lose its creamy consistency and get gloppy. I think that's the sugar caramelizing. Next, pour in the heavy cream, a little at a time, until creamy again. You will add more cream than you think. Taste. Pour in a little more sugar in, plus two more dashes of salt. Stir.
You should be done. With your fondue fork (or regular fork), dip in a sliced piece of strawberry or banana, and say goodbye to daily thoughts. There is only time now for chocolate.
If you drop a piece into the pot, you must kiss the person on your left. If that person is not on your left but in bed because you are making this at midnight, then go find them and treat them to a kiss of warm chocolate.
If you really want an official recipie, I grabbed the ingredients for chocolate fondue here. But there are lots more through Google. Or try this search if you spell recipe without the ie at the end. Oh gosh. Which is right.