Fondue recipes

Classic Cheese Fondue

• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1 fresh garlic clove, sliced in half
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups (8 ounces) Emmenthaler cheese, grated
• 3 cups (8 ounces) Gruyere cheese, grated
• Black pepper and salt, to taste
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 loaf of French bread, cut into 11/2-inch cubes
• 1 bunch of seedless grapes
• 2 to 4 cups of assorted blanched fresh vegetables, such as carrots, cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, new potatoes

In a fondue pot or small heavy saucepan, heat white wine with garlic over high until boiling.

A romantic dip Valentine's Day is the perfect time for rediscovering fondue, which is again bringing people together.

Combine lemon juice with cornstarch in small bowl and stir into boiling wine. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.

Reduce heat to medium and stir in cheese. Keep stirring until all cheese has melted. Fondue should look thick and shiny. Turn off heat, and stir in seasonings as desired. Place over fondue warmer and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as an entree or 10 to 12 as an appetizer.

-- Source: California Table Grape Commission.

Kirschwasser Swiss Cheese Fondue

• 8 ounces dry white wine
• 2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 2 cups Emmenthaler cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 ounce Kirschwasser cherry brandy
• Nutmeg and cracked black peppercorns to taste

Dipping foods: French, rye and pumpernickel breads, cut into 1-inch cubes; golden delicious apples, sliced into bite-sized cubes (squeeze 1/2 of the lemon into a container of ice water and put sliced apples into it to prevent browning); cleaned and cut fresh vegetables such as celery, carrots and cauliflower.

Fill a fondue pot or the bottom of a double boiler with approximately 1 inch of water and turn the burner on low. Your top liner should be large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Pour white wine into the liner.

Combine the two shredded cheeses in a tightly lidded container.

Add the flour, seal and shake vigorously, being sure to coat all of the cheese. Set aside.

Turn the burner to high and wait about five minutes or until steam appears. Add in the garlic and squeeze 1/2 of the lemon into the wine base. Using tongs, slowly add the cheese mixture to the wine base, starting with about three tongs, and begin mixing.

Continue adding small amounts of cheese until you achieve the consistency of warm honey.

Add about 3 shakes of nutmeg and 5 turns of fresh cracked peppercorns.

Add in the cherry brandy and fold until completely blended. Remove from the burner or turn to low.

Now you're ready to grab the fondue fork, attach foods and dip.

Caution: As cheese gets lower in the liner as you eat, the temperature will become hotter.

Source: The Melting Pot.

Fudgy Chocolate Fondue

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dippers: Cake pieces, cookies, marshmallows, cherries, grapes, mandarin orange segments, pineapple chunks, strawberries, fresh fruit slices.

Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; immediately stir in cocoa. Add sugar and evaporated milk.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth.

Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm with assorted fondue dippers.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Source: Hershey's.

Bittersweet Chocolate-Orange Fondue

• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (packed) grated orange peel
• 8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
• 8 1-inch pieces pound cake
• 8 1-inch pieces angel-food cake
• 8 fresh strawberries, hulled
• 2 kiwis, peeled, each cut into 4 rounds
• 1 small pear, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large banana, cut into 8 rounds
• 1 orange, peel and white pith removed, cut into sections
• 8 dried Calimyrna figs
• 8 dried apricot halves

Bring whipping cream and grated orange peel to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low.

Add chopped chocolate and 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier; whisk until mixture is smooth.

Remove fondue from heat and blend in remaining 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier.

Transfer fondue to fondue pot. Place over candle or canned heat burner. Serve with cake pieces and fruit for dipping. Serves 4.

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