Berries With Chocolate-Coconut Fondue

Berries with Chocolate-Coconut Fondue

I serve this dessert to family and friends more often than any other. It always gets raves, even though it takes less than 10 minutes to throw together. You can find Coco Lopez in the liquor department of most supermarkets. Your kids won’t realize how much fresh fruit they are consuming while they are dunking into the warm tropical-scented chocolate. Try also serving it with dried fruit, cubes of angel food or pound cake, and marshmallows. If you do happen to have a fondue pot, this dessert becomes extra cozy, especially to cap a chilly afternoon or frosty evening.

Serves 8

1 (15-ounce) can sweetened cream of coconut (like Coco Lopez)

12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

4 cups mixed berries, such as strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries

1. Combine the cream of coconut and chocolate in a heavy saucepan. Stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the cream and coconut extract, and cook until warmed through, another minute or so. Transfer the mixture to eight small ceramic ramekins or a fondue pot.

3. To serve, arrange the berries alongside the warm fondue, with skewers on the side for dipping the fruit into the chocolate. (The fondue can be prepared a couple of hours ahead of time and stored, covered, at room temperature. It can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. To rewarm the fondue, microwave it briefly, stirring halfway through, or warm it over very low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning.)

Try some Cranberry-Almond Scones for a soul-satisfying treat.