CHOCOLATE FONDUE with a TWIST: 2 Recipes for Fondue Day. Save for Valentine's Day!

Today is National Fondue Day! How perfect, especially Chocolate Fondue, for Valentine's Day, so bookmark this post. Fondue is so retro and romantic! Who doesn't like to dip things in chocolate? So pull up two chairs at the mid-century table you found at the Flea Market, and enjoy!

A few tips: You can make everything ahead of time: cut up the fruit, put out the marshmallows, and other dippers. Be sure and have lots of napkins on hand, it can get messy. Fondue pots are readily available at most kitchen stores and many hardware stores, and online, of course. Or.. search the attic or ask your mother. You're bound to find one -- maybe even one that's never been used!

Here are two easy Chocolate Fondue Recipes--with a Twist!

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL FONDUE

Ingredients
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 jar Recchiuti burnt caramel sauce (I'm partial to this sauce)*
3 ounces extra dark chocolate (75% cacao), chopped
Assorted fresh fruit

Directions
Combine condensed milk, caramel sauce, and chocolate in saucepan. Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted.
Put in fondue pot and keep warm.

Serve fresh fruit--strawberries, bananas, pineapple, oranges for dipping!

More suggested dippers: marshmallows, pound cake, pretzels, biscotti

EASY CHOCOLATE BOOZY FONDUE
Adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
12-15 ounces dark chocolate bars, chopped
2 Tbsp Amaretto or Kirsch
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

Directions
Heat 1/2 cup cream in heavy saucepan over moderate heat until cream comes to low boil.
Remove pan from heat and add chocolate.
Let chocolate stand in hot cream 3 to 5 minutes to soften, then whisk chocolate together with cream. Stir in liqueur and chopped nuts and transfer to fondue pot.

Dip fruit and other goodies as above. Use fondue forks, skewers, or seafood forks

SUPER BOWL CHOCOLATE COVERED FOOTBALL STRAWBERRIES

Are your ready for the Super Bowl? These Chocolate Covered Strawberries, with the addition of some white chocolate icing, make fun footballs, so they're perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!

Chocolate Covered Football Strawberries are easy to make. Not a lot of fuss, and it's fun. Great project to do with kids, too! The strawberries on the right are dipped in milk chocolate (more football colored), but I prefer dark chocolate. It's up to you. Just remember to use the very best chocolate, and the freshest strawberries. 

(With apologies to the originator of this recipe. I saw this years ago, and can't remember where--Thank you.)

CHOCOLATE COVERED FOOTBALL STRAWBERRIES

Ingredients
1 quart fresh large fresh strawberries, with tops
1 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate (or Milk, if you're a purist), chopped
3 Tbsp heavy cream
White chocolate, melted

Directions
Rinse strawberries and dry thoroughly, keeping tops on. In top of double boiler or stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, combine chocolate and heavy cream. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Dip strawberries 1/2-3/4 way up in chocolate mixture and place on waxpaper or parchment lined cookie sheet to allow chocolate to harden.
When hardened, decorate with melted white chocolate (see below).

Hints:
Wash strawberries and pat dry with paper towels; set aside. Make sure strawberries are completely dry. A drop of water in melted chocolate can cause it to "seize" and turn the entire mixture into a mess. How to smooth out the chocolate: add a tiny bit of honey and stir.

How to dip:
Grasp stem of strawberry and dip into chocolate, swirling to partially cover with chocolate. Give strawberry a small shake as you pull it out of the chocolate. When strawberry is completely out of chocolate, swirl it in quick, clockwise motion to let excess chocolate drip off. Place on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment. Repeat with rest of strawberries.

For White Chocolate Football Decoration: 
Melt white chocolate in Microwave on high for 20 seconds or so. Stir and repeat if necessary. Put white chocolate in piping bag (or ziplock bag-and cut off a tiny corner). Pipe stripe on top and bottom of strawberries. Pipe line down middle and then do about 5 short cross lines.

Tip: Go back over the cross lines to avoid drips

CHOCOLATE CHIP COCONUT CARROT CAKE: National Carrot Cake Day

Today is National Carrot Cake Day! Here's a great 1928 Vintage advertisement with recipe from the Ladies' Home Journal for a Coconut Carrot Cake. Of course, for my recipe I had to add chocolate: Cocoa and Chocolate Chips. All the great food groups in this one, especially with the cream cheese frosting! I also baked this in one pan. "Men-folks certainly like Coconut," and so do women!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COCONUT CARROT CAKE

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
2 Tbsp DARK cocoa
1/2 cup water
1 tsp pure vanilla
2 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cups chopped nuts
1/3 cup coconut
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time; beating well after each addition.
Sift dry ingredients together; add to creamed mixture alternately with water and vanilla.
Fold in carrots, nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips.
Pour into 9"x13" baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes. 
Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

For Frosting
Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and mix until blended.
Scrape down bowl and add sifted powdered sugar.
Mix until smooth.

GROUND HOG DAY CUPCAKES!

I love to decorate cupcakes and cakes for special occasions. February 2 is the day when Punxsutawney Phil peaks his head out, and, if he sees his shadow and returns to his hole, it means there will be another 6 weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow and comes out, there will be 6 more weeks of winter.  This holiday was brought to international attention by the film Groundhog Day with Bill Murray.

Here's an adorable decorating suggestion for "Cupcakes for Young and Old" to enjoy. This is from Food.com (not my photo, alas, but Marg on Food.com). She did a great job, don't you think? For this holiday, you can make your own cupcakes or buy rich chocolate-y ones at your favorite bakery!

Groundhog Day Chocolate Cupcakes (decorating)

Ingredients:
12 baked chocolate cupcakes
6 Almond Joy candy bars
10 white jelly beans
3 watermelon slice candy
48 brown miniature M&Ms
4 chocolate cookies
white frosting
black decorating gel

Directions:
Remove a piece of cake the width of an Almond Joy candy from the center of a baked cupcake.
Set candy bar upright in hole, then spread a layer of white frosting on the cupcake.
For groundhog's eyes, trim ends from a white jelly bean, stick them in place with frosting, then dot them with black decorators' gel.
Add a tiny triangle cut from a watermelon slice candy for a nose, brown M&Ms Minis for ears and cheeks, and a tiny rectangular piece of white jelly bean for teeth.
Sprinkle chocolate cookie crumbs around the partially emerged groundhog, for dirt!