Chocolate fondue is a fabulous party food and with February upon us, it makes a romantic dessert. Here are a few ideas to put together one effortlessly and some of the best dippers that go perfect with it.
Chocolate Fondue
Melting chocolate can be slightly tricky but here are a few tips that make it easy.
Use a double boiler or place a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
When microwaving, stop every 20-30 seconds and give the chocolate a stir.
If using a fondue pot, use the lowest setting.
Adding a tablespoon of butter or coconut oil at the very end will add a beautiful sheen to the chocolate.
Some of the best dippers include:
Strawberries
Apples
Bananas
Shortbread Cookies
Pound Cake
Madeline Cookies
Peanut Butter Balls (Mix together 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 3 tablespoons of softened butter and shape into balls. Chill a few hours before setting out to be dipped)
This almond date latte is a recipe my husband created a few months ago while on the Whole 30 diet and we have been making and drinking it every morning since.
Sugar and sweeteners are omitted on this diet so those who like their coffee a little sweet need to get a little creative.
The Whole 30 diet is based on specific whole foods. When we saw dates were acceptable that was the answer to adding some sweetness to the coffee.
When I was offered a sample of the Sumatra blend coffee from Wicked Joe, I thought it would be great to try it in this recipe.
The Sumatra blend is a delicious coffee with notes of dense chocolate and spices which pair perfectly with the cinnamon and coconut oil that goes into the recipe.
Wicked Joe is a family-owned coffee company based in Maine serving up 100% certified organic, fair trade and non-GMO verified coffees.
They roast their beans in a state of the art energy efficient facility using sustainable business practices from crop-to-cup. To complement their sustainable business practices all of Wicked Joe coffee beans are purchased directly from farmers and cooperatives across the globe.
Wicked Joe offers a variety of blends and single origin coffees which include Sumatra, Honduras, Bali, Ethiopia, Costa Rica and more. The Wicked Joe single origin varietals are imported directly from the country from which they are grown and are not blended with other coffees.
This latte recipe is super easy and delicious. We like to use almond milk but you can use any milk you like. If you are trying to keep it Whole 30 compliant though, you will need to skip any milk with dairy in it.
Pour milk into microwave safe mug or dish and add dates. Be sure to remove any pits in the dates. Even if you buy pre pitted dates, a pit can be hiding every now and then so double check them carefully.
Microwave for 1-2 minutes until milk is warm and dates are soft. You can also do this on the stove top. Just combine milk and dates in saucepan and heat until milk is warm and dates are soft.
Add coffee, date and milk mixture, cinnamon and coconut oil into blender. I recommend a Vita Mix.
Place a towel over the top lid in case the coffee leaks out the top when blending.
Start blender on low speed to get it going and then increase to high. Blend until smooth.
Using a large spoon, block the foam while pouring into mugs. Pour coffee about an inch from the top of the mug. Then top with desired amount of foam.
If your mixture seem a little grainy and it bothers you blend a little longer. You can also place a fine mesh strainer over the mug while pouring in coffee.
Adding a sprinkle of Fleur de sel or French sea salt on top just before baking elevates the flavor of these already perfect chocolate chip cookies.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
The original recipe comes from a Betty Crocker Cookbook I received as a wedding gift back in 1991. As my cooking skills increased and passion for elevating flavors in dishes developed, I took the liberty of making up my own version of this cookie recipe and it has been a hit ever since. These cookies are my families favorites and as you can tell by the recipe it has been tweaked to my standards of perfection and used often.
I promise after one bite you will know what makes them so special. You’re friends will be in awe of how delicious they are but not quite being able to put their finger on what makes them so delicious.
The secret is the sprinkling of sea salt on the cookies before baking. Here is a quick video on how I made them. I have revised the recipe since this video was made and although they come out okay with two eggs, I find that using just one egg makes the dough a little stiffer and the cookies are not as flat. The recipe you will be using below calls for only one egg.
I hope you try out the recipe. Comment below if you did! I promise they will become your families favorite as well!
