If you want to enjoy The Melting Pot’s chocolate fondue experience from the comfort of your own home, Erin Cooper, director of marketing of The Melting Pot Restaurants of Arizona, gives you the how-to.
Before you begin, you’ll need the following items: a double boiler, fondue pot or heat-safe bowl to place chocolate in once it’s melted, chocolate, fondue forks, items for dipping, toppings (chopped nuts, candy, caramel, dessert liqueurs, etc.) and milk. When choosing items for dipping, aim for soft, bite-size treats that don’t crumble easily. Fruit always works well. If you’re partial to cakes that crumble, just use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over them instead of dipping. Also, make sure the chocolate you’re using is broken up into smaller pieces. The small pieces will melt more evenly and won’t take as long to melt. For a mess-free chocolate chopping process, place the chocolate in a sealable plastic bag and use a kitchen tenderizer or something similar to break it up.
The easiest way to prepare chocolate fondue at home is to start off using a stovetop double boiler and then transfer to a fondue pot or heat-safe bowl when it’s time to start dipping. If you don’t own a double boiler, any glass or metal bowl that fits snugly over the top of the saucepan will work. Make sure that the chocolate-filled bowl does not come into contact with the gently boiling water at any time. Otherwise, the bowl will become too hot and the chocolate will burn or scorch.
Begin by filling the saucepan with one inch of water. Place saucepan on the stove over low heat until it starts to simmer and creates a gentle boil. Once the saucepan starts to produce steam, place the chocolate-filled heat safe bowl over the saucepan. The boiling water and steam will start to melt the chocolate above. Stir the melting chocolate constantly with a large spoon or rubber spatula. For a thinner chocolate consistency, slowly stir in whole milk until desired consistency is reached.
Once the chocolate is melted, transfer it into a fondue pot or ceramic/metal bowl and keep the fondue warm over low heat. Most fondue sets come with some sort of heating apparatus, but a tealight candle will work too. Any mix-ins can be added by you or your guests at this time.
How To: Chocolate Fondue at Home
