Menu

Leave a Message

Thank you for your message. We will be in touch with you shortly.

Lifestyle

Gather together around a nice warm...pot of cheese?

11/29/17  |  Liz Lyster

It's finally getting colder out, and we all need that extra little layer of fat to keep us warm. Right? This year for Thanksgiving our family forewent the traditional meal and dug into a nice big bowl of cheese fondue, followed by chocolate fondue for dessert. What a treat, and so much easier than I imagined. Here are the recipes I used to great success.

CHEESE FONDUE
 
Ingredients
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups), room temperature
8 ounces Emmentaler cheese, shredded (2 cups), room temperature* 2 tablespoons cornstarch Pinch ground nutmeg 1 ½ cups dry white wine** 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved ¼ teaspoon pepper
*Don’t substitute deli Swiss cheese for the Emmentaler—it will make the fondue stringy. Use good quality cheese for both; it's the main ingredient!
**Use a crisp, un-oaked wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc.
 
Instructions
1. Toss Emmentaler, Gruyère, cornstarch, and nutmeg together in bowl until well combined. Rub the inside of a medium saucepan with the garlic (I used my Le Creuset pan which retains heat well). Bring wine and garlic to boil over high heat; discard garlic.
 
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly whisk in cheese mixture 1 handful at a time (I found that doing it slowly really mattered). Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is smooth and begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in pepper. Place in the middle of the table and devour.
 
What we dipped:
 
Baguette, cut into 1-inch pieces
Lightly steamed broccoli and/or cauliflower, in bite sized pieces
Pieces of crisp apple
Rounds of summer sausage
Small boiled potatoes (the multi-colored ones are fun)
 
If you need to reheat the fondue, fill a microwaveable bowl one-third full of boiling water, then nest a slightly smaller microwaveable bowl inside it. Pour the fondue into the smaller bowl and serve. To reheat, microwave the double-bowl setup for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway.
 
CHOCOLATE FONDUE
 
Ingredients
12 ounces high-quality chocolate, chopped 1 â…“ cups heavy cream Pinch salt 1 tablespoon corn syrup
 
What we dipped:
Pound cake, cut into 1-inch cubes Marshmallows Bananas, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds Fresh pineapple, quartered, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks Strawberries, hulled
An embarrassing number of different kinds of cookies
 
Things I wish I had thought to dip:
Chunks of brownie
Clementines, peeled and segmented
 
Instructions
1. Prepare the accompaniments and set them aside.
 
2. Bring the cream and salt almost to a boil in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat and add the chocolate, stirring well until smooth, then add the corn syrup and whisk to incorporate. Serve immediately.
 
This reheated beautifully the next day in the microwave. I used the defrost setting so it wasn't too high.
 
So gather some friends and family, or just make yourself a pot and binge-watch Netflix. We're not judging.
 
#holidays #cheese #chocolate #fondue #family #gathering

Read More Articles

View All

Work With Us

With their complementary communication styles, responsiveness, competence, and ability to truly listen, Ellie and Liz enable their clients to feel at ease throughout any real estate transaction. They would welcome the opportunity to be your next real estate advisors.

Let's Connect

Follow Us on Instagram

Compass

1100 Massachusetts Ave

Cambridge, MA 02138

Liz & Ellie Local

(617) 444-9644

[email protected]

Get in Touch