Chocolate, orange and spice fondue

Ingredients

• 250ml/9fl oz whipping cream
• 50ml/2fl oz milk
• piece paired orange zest
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken up
• ½ vanilla pod, split lengthways
• 1 chipotle chilli, split
• few cloves
• 1 tsp allspice berries, lightly crushed
• 2 blades mace
• ½ tsp peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 350g/12oz dark chocolate
• generous pinch of salt
• 100ml/3½fl oz syrup from a jar of stem ginger
• 1-2 tbsp rum, brandy or ginger wine (optional)

To serve

• cubes madeira cake
• cubes leftover Christmas pudding or cake
• pieces of fruit, such as mango, physalis, mandarin segments or pears

 

Method

1. Put the whipping cream and milk into a saucepan along with the orange zest, cinnamon stick, vanilla pod, chilli, cloves, allspice berries, mace, peppercorns and ginger. 
2. Slowly bring up to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse until the cream returns to room temperature. Strain through a sieve into a clean saucepan. 
3. Break up the chocolate and it add to the cream. Melt the chocolate into the cream over a gentle heat until the chocolate has melted, whisking regularly and then constantly towards to the end until you have a smooth sauce. 
4. Transfer to a fondue bowl and leave to stand for 10 minutes, then if necessary, start reheating very gently with a tea light or fondue burner underneath. Keep an eye on this while eating as you do not want it to start over-heating – it will split.
5. Serve with cubes of madeira cake, leftover Christmas pudding or cake, or any fruit.