Caramel Fondue Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the three types of fondue? ›

Moitié-moitié (or half and half), also called Fondue Suisse: Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois. Neuchâteloise: Gruyère and Emmental (sometimes referred to as the original or traditional fondue). Innerschweiz: Gruyère, Emmental, and Sbrinz.

Some form of dairy — typically butter and/or heavy cream — is usually added to the mixture at either the beginning or the end of cooking. This addition makes the caramel richer, thicker, and lighter in color, lending more viscosity and rounder flavor.

To help prevent the caramel from crystallizing, you can add an acid to the sugar before you begin: add about half a tablespoon of lemon juice to each cup of sugar and mix it with your hands; it should be the consistency of wet sand. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat until it melts.

For each cup (240 mL) of caramel sauce that you need to thicken, run 1 tbsp (14.7 mL) of cold water into a measuring cup, and slowly stir in 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Pour the cornstarch mixture into your pot caramel sauce, and stir constantly. Keep the sauce on low heat until it begins to thicken.

If caramels are too hard, you can try placing them back in a saucepan, adding a couple tablespoons of water and stirring until the thermometer reads 242°F. Pour back into a prepared buttered pan.

If the temperature gets too hot and the caramel becomes too hard as it cools, you can put it back in the pan with a couple of tablespoons of cold water to try and save it.

Caramel is a deliciously sweet sauce that can turn up the volume on any dessert it's added to. But if you're hoping to drizzle caramel over vanilla ice cream or getting ready to dip apples for a fall celebration, you need a sauce that's not too thick. To thin caramel, just add some cream or water over heat.

When making fondue, the first thing to consider is what type of ingredients you want to use; if you are a vegetarian, you may prefer the oil. The oil is also a healthier option because it contains no fat or calories. However, if you like meat and cheese, the broth is better because it has more flavors.

Never eat directly off the fondue fork. Never forget your food in the pot. Never pour the contents of the pot onto your plate. Never cut in line when it's not your turn to dip.

The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda. If you aren't sure what to pick, use even amounts of these three. Together are lush and complex. For classic Swiss cheese fondue (meaning one like what you would find in Switzerland), a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

Why don't you stir caramel? ›

Before placing on the stove on a medium heat, it should start to bubble and when it does you can swirl the pan around gently every 20 seconds or so. But DON'T STIR as this might crystallize the sugar. Be patient and keep an eye on it to make sure it does not burn.

The heat of the caramel will melt the butter and create even more wonderful flavors. Finally, after the butter has melted, we add heavy whipping cream. This will allow the mixture to be loose enough to be used as a sauce.

If the fondue is too thin, and you have leftover shredded cheese, stir in about one cup. Or, dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of the cooking liquid and gradually stir in enough of the mixture into the simmering fondue for it to reach the desired consistency.

A medium heat is usually about the correct level to melt the cheese without burning it, but if you have been heating the fondue for a while and it is still quite runny then try raising the heat a little. The cheese should be shredded, grated or cubed into fairly small even-sized pieces so that they melt evenly.

To thin caramel, just add some cream or water over heat. Melt caramel loaves in the oven. You can also add corn syrup or lemon juice to caramel sauces to prevent them from crystallizing.

If caramels are too hard, you can try placing them back in a saucepan, adding a couple tablespoons of water and stirring until the thermometer reads 242°F. Pour back into a prepared buttered pan. If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough.