Spice Collection truffles by Laderach Chocolatier Suisse include paprika, allspice, chili, cinnamon-nutmeg, coconut-curry, ginger and cardamom.
February 2005
Updated February 2009
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Chocolate Fondue With Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice
Page 2: Start The Party Planning
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Step 1: Get The Dishes ~ Cups or Bowls
First, find cups or bowls to serve the melted chocolate.
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If you only want to try one mix, any small bowl, custard cup, shallow teacup, demitasse cup or sherbet champagne glass will do.
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But if you want each guest to try 3 or 4 mixes (yes!), you need to give each person 3 or 4 different cups or small bowls. You still may have everything you need, or should be able to borrow a few pieces. Saké cups, espresso cups, egg cups—any small cup will work, even votive candle holders. All of the items needed for the Chocolate Melt are easily repurposed several times over.
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You don’t need to have 32 matching pieces: as long as each person’s 3 or 4 cups come from the same set, your table will look orderly.
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You can even buy plastic cocktail glasses. There are silver-coated ones and holiday colors that look quite festive. Even the smallest size allows for a larger portion than you’d normally serve when trying 4 different mixtures; but no one will complain.
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Regular tableware like espresso cups or demitasse, saké cups, even egg cups, can do double duty to hold hot melted chocolate. This espresso cup, from Bodum’s Pavina line, is made of double-walled glass that both insulates, helping the chocolate stay warm longer; and prevents heat marks and moisture condensation from marring your tabletop. |
 Step 2: Find A Lazy Susan
Set up lazy susans within reach of all guests. For a foursome at a small table, you can just line up the mix-ins in dishes within reach of all.
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For larger groups, one or more lazy susans work best. You don’t need to go to a gallery to buy a beautiful hand-crafted lazy susan like the one at right from Creative Artworks By Karen. You can get an inexpensive plastic model in any housewares or hardware store and cover the top with decorative fabric or paper.
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If the lazy susan has a holding rim, you can even even create a festive surface of colored marbles or round hard candies that can be re-purposed afterward as decor in glass vases, jars or bowls. (Avoid using coffee beans or other items with fragrance that will compete with the chocolate you’re tasting.)
Step 3: Prepare To Mix
You’ll also need spice dishes and demitasse or other small spoons to scoop up the mix-ins from the communal dishes prior to mixing.
 You’ll need very small bowls for the communal mix-in containers for the Spice Melt because spices are expensive and only 1/4 teaspoon is needed in any particular mix. Larger bowls will do for the Traditional Melt. The small cups of chocolate will need less than 1/8 teaspoon of the mix-in, and most people will want to proceed with caution.
Soy sauce dishes work well for the spices: if you don’t yet have a set, they can be used for Asian cuisine, condiments for any occasion, and even as tea bag holders. The saucers from demitasse and espresso cups can be used in a pinch, although spices can spill over the edges.
Continue To Page 3: The Mix-Ins
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