Life is Better Drenched in Chocolate

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of a cube of pound cake must be in want of chocolate.  However little known the feelings or views of such a cake may be on its first being baked, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the potential eaters, that it is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their fondue pots.

Okay, so that's not exactly what Jane Austen said at the beginning of a novel not quite titled Pride and Pound Cake, but still.  Everything is better with chocolate.  And melty, dippy chocolate in the form of fondue?  That, dear readers, takes the cake.  Literally.  Or the marshmallow.  Or strawberry.

I had a long overdue housewarming party this weekend and wanted a dessert that was fun and easy to eat.  Cookies?  Too predictable.  Cupcakes?  Hard to manage with a cocktail in the other hand.  My solution was obvious... chocolate fondue.  (Actually, cheese fondue put in an appearance, too, but this is a baking blog so I won't bore you with that.)

Being Southern and not in possession of good notions of portion control, I started with five pounds of chocolate--half semi-sweet, half bittersweet.  I melted that into six cups of heavy cream along with a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of instant coffee, and a splash of vanilla extract.  I then added about a quarter cup of corn syrup (for shine) and the same of amaretto ('cause amaretto don't need a reason).  The result: massive pot of chocolate goodness.

I made this the night before and my entire house smelled like chocolate.  It. Was. Divine.

Of course, if you're not looking for a gallon of fondue, you may want to try a single bag of chocolate chips with a cup of cream, a tablespoon each of corn syrup and the booze of your choice, and a wee bit of coffee and vanilla.  In this ratio, you can still easily serve six.

For dipping, I made brownies, pound cake, and shortbread cookies.  I also put out graham crackers, pretzels, marshmallows, and sliced apples and pears.  Strawberries and cherries are amazing in fondue, but always disappointing (not to mention expensive) at this time of year.  Really, though, you can dip just about anything... and that's part of the fun.

The leftovers beckon to me even now.  Warm me... Swirl me... Eat me...


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