EASY CHOCOLATE FONDUE

• 1 pkg. (8 oz) semi-sweet baking chocolate squares

• 2/3 C milk

• 1/4 C sugar.

• cinnamon,  mace,  nutmeg

Stir all ingredients together in a saucepan until chocolate is melted. Add one or more spices to taste and stir into chocolate.  Serve warm in fondue pot. When sauce thickens, stir in a little milk. 

Shortbread fingers or rounds, candied pineapple chunks, caramels, dried fruits (such as apricots and pears, orange and mandarin orange segments, pound cake or angel food cake cubes, pretzels, seedless grapes, strawberries, apple slices, pear slices, cheesecake cubes.  Makes 1 1/3 cups.

CLASSIC CHEESE FONDUE

• 10 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

• 10 oz. grated (Swiss) cheese

• 2 C dry white wine

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

• 2 Tbls. Kirsch

• 1 clove garlic, halved

• 1-2 tsp. cornstarch

• Dash of nutmeg and paprika

Rub the  inside of a saucepan  with garlic. Pour in 1 cup of  wine and the lemon juice. Heat to bubbly,  then reduce heat to low. Stir in 1/3 of the grated cheese with wooden spoon. Slowly add  remaining cheese and wine.

In a small bowl, mix Kirsch and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Blend into cheese mix. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. May add another 1 teaspoon cornstarch to thicken if necessary. Add nutmeg and paprika. Serve warm  in fondue pot with French bread cubes, apples chunks, cooked sausage links or cubes, or vegetables for dipping.

QUICK AND SIMPLE BEEF FONDUE

• 2 lbs. sirloin tip, top round or flank steak

• fondue skewers or forks

• 2 to 3 C vegetable oil (or half  vegetable,  half  saffron, olive or canola oil)

• DIPPING SAUCE:

• 16 oz. can tomato sauce with mushrooms (or plain)

• 1/4 C sour cream

• 1 Tbls. EACH grated onion, lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp. dried parsley)

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 2 Tbls. bacon bits

• 1 tsp. EACH chives and dill seed

• 1Tbls. red wine (optional)

Trim fat off meat and cut into thin, bite-sized cubes. Pile into a bowl and set aside in refrigerator. Heat oil in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan until it reaches 375 degrees on a frying thermometer, or until a drop of water sizzles upon touching the oil (WARNING: Do not stand near the pan when testing. Place small bit of water on a long spoon and stand back from stove when testing the oil. Hot oil burns skin and clothes quickly. Never fill pan more than 1/3 full when stovetop frying.) Carefully transfer hot oil to fondue pot. Let guests skewer meat cubes and cook in oil to preferred doneness. Serve with sourdough bread chunks and bowl of hot DIPPING SAUCE:

In a quart saucepan, combine sauce ingredients and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

BREAKFAST FONDUE

• 1 15 oz. can sliced peaches in juice (not syrup), undrained

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

• 2 Tbls. whipped light cream cheese

• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

• pinch of cinnamon

Combine the undrained peaches, maple syrup, whipped cream cheese, vanilla and cinnamon in a blender or food processor, fitted with a metal blade. Puree on high until smooth. (It's OK if there are a few lumps of cream cheese still showing. They will disappear  when you cook the peach mixture in the next step.)

Pour mixture into a saucepan. Warm it over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the cream cheese fully melts, and the sauce starts to bubble around the edges.

Serve the fondue in a heated fondue bowl with silver dollar pancakes or  waffle wedges, French toast fingers or fresh fruit for dipping. Makes  2cups.

PARTY FONDUE

Follow Breakfast Fondue recipe, except replace 2-3 tablespoons of peach  juice with peach schnapps and eliminate the vanilla extract.

Serve with fresh fruit, assorted cheese cubes, fingers of  toasted raisin, banana, or nut bread , cheese breadsticks, biscotti or other treats.