# Chocolate/Caramel Fountains



## 1LuvHalloween (Oct 27, 2004)

Every year I spend a lot of time making deserts that really dont get eaten. So this year I decided just to have 3 fountain set up with various dipping items. I was thinking a chocolate, caramel, and maybe a white chocolate dyed orange? Has anyone done this and has it worked well? Does anyone have a tried and true recipes they use? I found a website that sells the chocolate and caramel (www.sweetfountains.com) but Im just wondering what you guys do.


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## gothiccaddy (Nov 7, 2006)

*fountain*

The only problem with these fountain is that you have to add oil for the chocolate to flow right and they are horrible to clean. Make sure you have spoons and plates. I once saw a guys lick the fountain as it flowed


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

If you get chocolate especially for fountains, it does not require oil. It's availabe at most specialty food stores or high end grocery stores. If I can't get that, I use about 1/4 cup of canola oil to a pound of melted chocolate chips or Hershey Kisses. Make sure you mix it well before adding it to the fountain and make sure your fountain is level or it will not flow.

My fountain is not that bad to clean up. Just make sure you pour up any remaining chocolate and wipe as much out as you can with paper towels. Then take it all apart and wash each piece in very hot water. I can have mine clean in under 10 minutes.

Oh - make sure you protect the surface it will sit on because they do tend to splatter a bit and people will be messier than you think.


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## HallowSusieBoo (Aug 11, 2009)

Hallow and here's my 2 cents on fountains - of any kind:

A. They are indeed messy.

B. Food caterer friends of mine say the health department cringes whenever a group asks to set one up at a function. One never knows exactly "what" is getting touched, licked, dropped into, or basically violated when it comes to food fountains. (Think _salad bar sneeze guard removed_ with a welcome sign that reads, *Cough and Sneeze Here*)

C. Three smaller, more manageable fondu pots might be just as easy, satisfying and manageable... I have found them at nearly every yard sale I go to, including a huge supply of the fondu forks at every thrift store utensil bin I rummage through.

You can have lots of fresh dipping supplies held safely in the fridge to replenish the serving dishes, and crock pots with extra cheese, chocolate or other dipping liquids (bouillon, teriyaki sauce, etc.)

Well - that's my 2 cents any way. 


Check out this for a fun twist on dipping sauce:
Canton Fondue Bouillon, Teriyaki - Products Lassonde Specialties inc.
Inspired by the Japanese cuisine with soy sauce and roasted sesame oil, this fondue and hot pot broth is delicious with beef and chicken.
www.pronald.ca/en/products/bouillons/teriyaki.asp -


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## BadTableManor (Sep 8, 2007)

Wasn't fondue "in" in the late '50s - early '60s? I'm thinking chocolate and cheese fondues might be a good thing for my Shag-inspred party. Hmm, you've planted a seed in my brain...


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## HeatherEve1234 (Sep 5, 2008)

i do a lot of chocolate dipped desserts and its way easier to control and clean up. Marshmallows, pretzels, strawberries - me and my double boiler have a little date, it all cools and get stacked up the day before. 

I agree the fountains are a pain to clean, and there's so much chocolate "wasted" if you keep it full and flowing (I don't re-use because of the cross contamination). I also know someone would get drunk and stick their face in the fountain, and I'm not interested in cleaning that up.


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## HallowSusieBoo (Aug 11, 2009)

BadTableManor said:


> Wasn't fondue "in" in the late '50s - early '60s? I'm thinking chocolate and cheese fondues might be a good thing for my Shag-inspred party. Hmm, you've planted a seed in my brain...





HeatherEve1234 said:


> i do a lot of chocolate dipped desserts and its way easier to control and clean up. Marshmallows, pretzels, strawberries - me and my double boiler have a little date, it all cools and get stacked up the day before.
> 
> I agree the fountains are a pain to clean, and there's so much chocolate "wasted" if you keep it full and flowing (I don't re-use because of the cross contamination). I also know someone would get drunk and stick their face in the fountain, and I'm not interested in cleaning that up.



Indeed BTM - Fondue is gaaarooovey babee!! From the 60's and 70's - lotsa fondue sets to be found in yard sales and second hand shops! A perfect way to have small "bite-able" yummies without the fuss of a fountain. 

Luv the way you think HeatherEve!! Sounds yummy! And soo easy too! Party at your house for sure! 

I agree - fondue is a wonderful compromise to the fountain/everybody help yourself food plan. Why not hunt for a little table top Zen fountain and add green or red colored water to it? Make it look sooo creepy that no one will even WANT to dip into it - then you can set the fondue pots around the table for a fun walk-around eating frenzy!


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## Spookilicious mama (Feb 27, 2008)

*I do a couple of fountains every year and Its always a hit*


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## AmFatallyYours (Apr 8, 2009)

I have a chocolate fountain and i find a fondue pot simpler. The fountain is cool, but is messy. I wouldn't say they are hard to clean, but harder than it would be to clean a fondue pot. And it is much easier for a person to dip some chocolate, etc. out of the fondue pot for their items than to hold each item under the fountain.


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## 1LuvHalloween (Oct 27, 2004)

Well I have 4 fondue pots as well as 3 chocolate fountains so I could go either way. We fondue with oil about once a month but never chocolate. Do you have to constantly stir it? My idea is to be able to set up the fountains and not worry about them until the chocolate runs out or its time to clean up. Thank you everyone for your imput.

Spookalilicous, what do you put in your fountains that go over so well?


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## Tsloth (Aug 23, 2008)

It's a party.....go with the fountains if you have them. I love fondue but what looks better...pot of chocolate or flowing fountain of chocolate. Willy Wonka would never do the pot!! The health department cringes at everything, you probably can't even find a doctor in most of them to provide any real medical opinion. Germaphobes will avoid both fondue pots and fountain anyway. Clean them up as soon as you shut them off-empty all excess chocolate as previously mentioned and rinse off with the hottest water your faucet sprayer puts out (this will remove all but a miniscule layer of oil/chocolate ) Then wash in hot water and soap that night or the next day. I have never tried the caramel. One good point to remember-likely in your fountains instruction book-once you add the liquid to to the running fountain, shut it off after 30-60 seconds to let air escape from the screw/mover and then restart; otherwise you may not get good flow. One time I kept thinning down the chocolate (thought it was too thick to flow) until I read the book and it mentioned this step. You can make witch finger cookies for dipping as seen on the Forum as a bonus.


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## Halloween Princess (Sep 23, 2008)

I have a fountain I have used for chocolate at bridal showers, etc. Don't know why I hadn't thought of it for Halloween. I like the idea of white chocolate colored orange.


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## ghostluva (Jun 14, 2009)

I have used chocolate fountains for my Halloween party for years. Cleaning it isn't bad at all. This year it's a Vampire theme so we will have one fountain with milk chocolate and one with white chocolate dyed red! I love the reactions I get when I tell people about my "blood" fountain! Perfect for my Vampire theme!!!


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## Paul Melniczek (Jun 5, 2009)

I bought a fountain a few years back at Sam's Club and it's the coolest thing. 3 tiers, and it's lighted, the colors changing like some of the flicker candles do. It does splatter somewhat and is a pain to clean, but I always convince my wife we should use it, and she ends up cleaning it.  It does look really neat.

Paul.


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## Halloween Princess (Sep 23, 2008)

I am reviving this thread  I have decided to set my fountain up this year with white chocolate dyed orange. I don't remember my fountain splashing at all last time I used it. 

I am looking for help naming the dippers. I saw some fun things on tv this weekend. Strawberries - small hearts, pretzel sticks - brittle bones. What would be good names for marshmellows? Other dipper ideas?


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## Xane (Oct 13, 2010)

Small marshmallows could be rotten teeth or if you get creative and use the large ones, use food coloring to paint them into eyeballs or skulls.

Shave apples or pears or some other fruit that goes brown when touched with metal into thin flat pieces and call them skin flakes.


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## Bella Betty (Sep 24, 2010)

I love the fondue pot idea. I do make chocolate fondue frequently at work and occassionally at home (might have to add it to this year's party...hmmmm). There is a great recipe that uses coconut cream, whip cream and chocolate at epicurious.com and it doesn't require constant maintenance (stirring, scraping, etc). Once you get your fondue ready, I do recommend that you use a small crock pot (1 1/2 qt size) with a temperature control and set on on "keep warm" only! If you get chocolate too hot, it will burn and/or separate and be pretty disgusting. If you opt to use a traditional fondue pot, just make sure that your heat source is a pretty low flame or a warming plate to prevent scorching. Chocolate burns if it gets above 130 degrees F, so lower is better.


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