are popular at catered parties and events.
Fondue is a dish of melted cheese or chocolate that is typically served in a pot placed over a burner. Diners can place pieces of cheese, fruit or meat on a small stick and dip it into the melted cheese or sauce before eating. Fondue fountains are an elaboration on the typical fondue pot, often featuring melted white or milk chocolate that cascades down the side of a small fountain. They are commonly found at celebrations and parties and are served alongside pieces of fruit for dipping.
Instructions
1. Buy or rent the base fountain device. Fondue fountains are comprised of a heated pot that warms the chocolate, an augur that circulates melted chocolate from the pot to the top of the fountain, and two or more tiers for the melted chocolate to flow back down into the base. Catering companies often rent out fondue fountains, although smaller editions can also be found at major retailers. Consider purchasing or renting a fondue fountain device in stainless steel to make it easier to clean.
2. Choose a sauce. Chocolate is not the only type of melted sauce that can work in a fondue fountain. You might also choose to melt butterscotch or caramel to serve alongside sweets or fruits for dipping. Other more unusual types of sauces that might work in a fondue fountain include barbeque sauces and melted cheeses. These could be served with various meats or pieces of bread.
3. Melt the sauce. Not all types of chocolate are easy to work with or can maintain the right texture for a fondue fountain. You might want to consider using couverture chocolate, which contains a high quantity of cocoa butter and can more easily flow down the edges of a chocolate fountain. Melt the chocolate down into liquid form by putting it in a saucepan on the stove or in a crock pot. Once it is melted, the chocolate can be poured into the warmer of a fondue fountain. If you do not use couverture chocolate, you may also want to add an additional ingredient such as heavy cream or vegetable oil to decrease the viscosity before putting the chocolate into the fondue fountain.
4. Set out dipping foods. Several types of foods work well with fondue fountains, as long as they are bite-size and can easily fit on the end of a wooden stick, tong or fork. Some items that go well with chocolate fondue fountains include strawberries, pineapples, bananas, marshmallows, pound cake and apples. Nonconventional items include pretzels, nuts and potato chips, which can add a salty taste to the sweetness of the melted chocolate.
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