- Chocolate fountains are available at reasonable prices for home use. The machines pump melted chocolate up a small tower and allow it to fall back down into the basin at the bottom in a smooth sheet that almost looks solid until you dip a bite-sized piece of food into the flow. Add interest by offering unconventional food for dipping, along with old standbys like strawberries. Consider orange slices, kiwi fruit, salty crackers and chips -- even jalapeno peppers.
- Melt chocolate chips in the microwave and dip plastic spoons in the gooey chocolate. Place the dipped spoons on waxed paper and chill them until the chocolate sets. If desired, decorate the spoons with sprinkles, tiny marshmallows, shredded coconut or any other sweet treat you can think of before chilling them. Serve the spoons with hot chocolate and watch your guests go wild as they stir the spoon's rich coating into their mugs.
- Update pain au chocolat -- that traditional French breakfast favorite -- by whipping up a plate of chocolate bruschetta. Slice French bread into pieces and spray them lightly with cooking spray. Toast the bread evenly on both sides under the broiler and sprinkle on some finely chopped bittersweet chocolate. Run it under the broiler again to melt the chocolate, finish with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt and grated orange zest, and serve warm with coffee.
- For a unique gift, whip up some chocolate bath salts for the chocoholic in your life. By adding a cup of Epsom salts, a few teaspoons of cocoa powder and a dash of cinnamon, vanilla or peppermint oil to a cup of store-bought bath salts, you can treat that special person to a relaxing bath surrounded by the rich smell of chocolate. Choose scented bath salts with a complementary fragrance like orange or almond, and don't be afraid to use your creativity when adding spices and oils.
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