Fondue!

This weeks recipes I tried out last week when my friend Brit visited to celebrate my 22nd birthday! I thought, rather than spending tons of money to go out to a fancy fondue place, we could spend less, stay in and do our own :) It turned out amazingly, tasted so good and was a great fun time. Feel free to experiment with the cheeses or chocolates, we tried adding some gouda after we tried the recipe and it was great! Lets face it, nearly everything tastes good dipped in either cheese or chocolate!

Cheese Fondue

• 1/2 pound imported Swiss cheese, shredded (We used Monterey Jack instead)
• 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded 
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• Pinch nutmeg
• Assorted dippers (Crusty bread, Broccoli, Sausages, Apples, anything that tastes good in cheese, and you'd be surprised on how good the apples go with it!)

In a small bowl, coat the cheeses with cornstarch and set aside. Rub the inside of the ceramic fondue pot with the garlic, then discard. Over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid. Melting the cheese gradually encourages a smooth fondue. Once smooth, stir in mustard and nutmeg. Spear dippers with fondue forks or wooden skewers, dip, swirl and enjoy!

Milk Chocolate Fondue

• 2/3cup half-and-half
• 12oz milk chocolate or 1 bag (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips
• Dippers (pound cake cubes, strawberries, pineapple chunks, apple slices, marshmallows)
• Optional: You can add a few tablespoons of liquor if you want to make it an adult party, Orange Liquor, Amaretto, etc.

In 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat half-and-half and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth; remove from heat. Pour into fondue pot or chafing dish. Spear Dippers with fondue forks; dip into fondue. (If fondue becomes too thick, stir in a small amount of half and half)