Valentine’s Day Fondue
Happy Valentine’s Day! This blog post is a great way to ellavate your Valentine’s Day with or without a significant other. If you don’t have a significant other, you can enjoy this fondue solo or with other people you love. Valentines doesn’t just have to be about boyfriends and girlfriends. It is about anyone you love...including yourself because self-love and self-care are so important.
Corona has made me realize that we need to make the best of everyday. We must be positive and find little pieces of sunshine within the storm. So, even if you don’t normally do anything for Valentine’s Day, now is your chance to start! Fondue is a perfect way to spread some cheer during these hard times in a fun and creative way, yet it is not too complicated.
In my opinion, one of the most fun restaurants to go to is called “The Melting Pot,” which is a fondue restaurant near me. But... wouldn’t it be even better if we brought fondue to the comfort of our own homes? And on top of that, let’s make it Valentine’s themed!
Fondue is super flexible so these are just ideas, and you can change them however you might like. If you don’t have a fondue pot, don’t worry! Instead, you can heat up the cheese or chocolate on the stove or in the microwave. You can also find wooden skewers at the store for dipping.
Cheese fondue:
For the cheese fondue I decided to use gruyere cheese, which is a great creamy, nutty melting cheese.
What you will need:
1 1/2 pound Le Gruyère cheese, shredded
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 2/3 cup dry white wine
A dash of nutmeg
Directions:
Combine the cheese and cornstarch and put that aside for later.
Over medium-high heat, bring the wine to a boil.
Stir in the cheese and cornstarch. Lower the temperature to medium-low and cook. Stir the mixture constantly in a zig-zag pattern, until the cheese has melted and thickened (about 5-10 minutes).
*This recipe makes quite a lot of cheese, probably serving 8-10 people. So, if you have less people then cut the recipe in half!
Cheese fondue dippers:
Baguette
Apples
Sausage
Soft pretzel bites
Chocolate fondue:
Milk chocolate, salted caramel fondue:
Chocolate and caramel are one of my favorite combinations ever. I love the mix of a these sweet, buttery, and luscious flavors that melt in your mouth. The addition of salt brings everything together.
What you will need:
10 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, chopped
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add caramel and salt to taste
*If you want a lactose free version, add 2/3 cup lactose free half and half instead of milk and heavy cream
Directions:
Combine chocolate, milk, and cream in a saucepan over low heat stirring occasionally until the mixture is melted.
Then, stir in the vanilla
Add this to your fondue pot and add caramel and salt to taste. You can either add the caramel directly to the chocolate in the pot, or add the caramel to your own plate.
S’more’s fondue:
This fondue will bring you right back to summers near the campfire. The smoky fire, the sounds of laughter and cheer, and the ooey-gooey marshmallows.
Whay you will need:
1 cup Nutella
¼ cup heavy cream (or lactose free half and half)
Fluff to taste
Directions:
Heat the cream in the microwave for around 45 seconds to 1 minute or heat it up on the stove.
Put the Nutella in your bowl or fondue pot and add the cream. Stir until the Nutella is melted. (If you want your mixture to be less thick, add more cream)
Add the fluff to taste!
Chocolate fondue dippers:
Pineapple
Strawberries
Rice Krispy Treats
Pound cake
Banana
Marshmallows
Cinnamon graham crackers
Ellavate tip: To make your fondue even more festive, use a heart shaped cookie cutter and cut the dippers into hearts!
Valentine’s Day mocktail:
For any festive holiday, you need to have a mocktail. Usually, I am not one for sweet drinks. I don’t know why but they taste too sweet or too boring. But... this drink was literally so good I had two. It is also so simple, but so fun.
Whay you will need:
Valentines' sprinkles or sugar
Water
Raspberry sorbet
Sprite
Pomegranate seeds
Directions:
Take two ramekins and put water in one, and sprinkles or sugar in the other. Then, get a glass of your choosing, I used a champagne glass to make things more festive, but you can use whatever you want. Dip the rim of the glass into the water and then dip it into the sprinkles. Rotate the glass to ensure the whole rim is decorated with sprinkles.
Add about two scoops of sorbet into the glass. Add your sprite and about one spoonful of pomegranate seeds.
Drink up!
I had so much fun not even just eating this amazing food, but also preparing it. It was a great way to do something fun and non-stressful yet still a task, so I wasn’t bored.