Chocolate Fondue with Strawberries

Chocolate fondue with strawberries is a delicious and romantic dessert, perfect for ending a special dinner or for a moment of sweet conviviality. Here is a classic version with a small Italian touch.

Ingredients

• 200 g of good quality dark chocolate
• 100 ml of fresh cream
• 1/2 vanilla pod (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
• A pinch of salt
• Fresh strawberries as needed, cleaned and cut (if necessary)

Preparation

1. Start by finely chopping the chocolate and transferring it to a heat-resistant bowl.
2. In a saucepan, heat the fresh cream with the vanilla pod split lengthwise to release the seeds (or the vanilla extract, if using that).
3. When the cream is hot but not boiling (be careful not to let it simmer), remove the vanilla pod and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate.
4. Let the heat of the cream soften the chocolate for a minute, then start stirring with a hand whisk from the center of the bowl until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
5. Add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. If the consistency of the fondue is too thick, you can add a dash of hot cream to make it more fluid.
6. Transfer the warm fondue to a fondue pot or a bowl, accompanying it with the fresh strawberries.

For an all-Italian variation, you could also incorporate a tablespoon of orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or a good amaretto to further flavor the fondue. Make sure to adjust the amount of liqueur according to your taste – you wouldn’t want it to overpower the chocolate flavor.

Trivia

Chocolate fondue saw a huge increase in popularity in the 1960s, when it was promoted as a refined dessert for elegant dinners. Although it is often associated with Switzerland, where cheese fondue is traditional, this chocolate version has found fans all over the world, becoming a classic at dinners and special occasions.