Romance 101 - Chocolate Fondue and all sort of things to dip into it...

Sure, aphrodisiacs may or may not exist.  But I can tell you that very few foods can get you in the mood better than warm chocolate.   There's something about the silkiness in the mouth, the feel on the tastebuds and the exquisite taste of real quality chocolate.

Now guys, you want to score some romance points with the ladies, surprise her with a chocolate fondue. Yes it sounds luxurious, but it's one of the SIMPLEST things in the world to make.  It's melted chocolate and enough whipped cream to get the right consistency  That's it.  You find a bunch of things to dip into it and you're done.

Now what you serve and how you serve it matters.  First, what you serve...  Now almost anything tastes great when it is dipped in chocolate.  And what type of chocolate you use can matter.  Always use something the person you are serving loves.  Liz likes the Dairy Milk from Cadbury, so I'll use that as a base.  You do not have to limit yourself to just one type of chocolate.  Sure, you can have a milk chocolate base, but you can add dark or white chocolate as well.  And if you want to swirl in some caramel, drop in some nuts, or add some other flavorings, more power to you.

If you're making this for your special someone, you want to make sure that you provide some of her favorite foods.  Just make sure whatever you present is dipable.  When it comes to fruits, almost anything that's pretty solid works, since you can lance them with a small fork and it will stay on.  Strawberries, raspberries, bananas, grapes, melon pieces, pineapple, pears, etc all work wonderfully.  But I've also seen citrus like oranges and tangerines served as well.  When it comes to pastries, you want to make sure that it won't disintegrate. While your average cake isn't recommended, cubes of sponge cake, shortcake and brownies will stay on the fork and the texture will capture the chocolate on the uneven surface.  And almost any type of cookie will work great if you dip it by hand.  Oreos will allow some extra chocolate to slide in the gap between the layers.  Shortbread cookies soak up a little extra chocolate. Chocolate chip, oatmeal, and even peanut butter cookies can be dredged through the chocolate. 

Now you can warm and serve the chocolate any way you'd like.  I do own an electric fondue pot and I recommend it.  The pot has an adjustable temperature gauge, so you can maintain the heat as long as you want to.  Also, they usually come with a set of fondue forks, so multiple people can dip without having to share cutlery.  My pot has a teflon coating and can be completely submerged in water, so it's very easy to clean.  And you can use the pot for more than just fondue.  You can prepare dips, small soups, and other appetizers for parties with this piece of equipment. 

If you don't want spend the money, they do make other pots.  There are some that are ceramic that allow you to put a heat source under them.  There are also small, two persons pots that allow for a tealight to heat it.  These are perfectly good serving vessels, but if you're going to use those to keep it warm, I'd recommend initially melting the chocolate in a double-boiler and a saucepan and then pour the contents into the containers when you're ready to serve.  

Finally, make the display pretty.  Lay the dipable items on a plate surrounding the fondue pot.  Have the forks easily accessible.  Add some flowers or candles on the table for ambiance.  Just make it as romantic as possible.  Who knows?  Maybe the sensual mood will inspire someone to find new and exciting uses for the melted chocolate...

Chocolate Fondue

Preferably serves a select pair, but can be done for a group as well.

1 pound of your favorite chocolate

Up to 1 cup whipping cream

Dipping items

Warm your fondue pot or saucepan to medium.  Add the chocolate and stir until it's thoroughly melted.  Slowly add the whipping cream and stir to blend.  It may coagulate when you put the first amount of cream in.  That's OK, keep adding cream in small quantities and stir until combined.  Keep adding the whipping cream until you get the consistency you want.  Present the chocolate with all sorts of dipable items, which can include:

Strawberries 

Raspberries

Grapes

Melon pieces

Pineapple

Pears

Apples

Brownies

Shortcake

Sponge Cake

Oreos

Shortbread cookies

Chocolate Chip cookies

Peanut Butter cookies

Your partner...  etc.

So set the romantic mood with a creamy chocolate aphrodisiac and see where the mood takes you.