Blackberry Fondue

The winter months are still here, and the weather is getting colder. This is the time of year where everyone is looking for something different to try for dinner, which will still keep them warm. The 80’s favourite of cheese fondue has had a revamp for the 21st century with recipes like Chocolate fondue and Caramel fondue.

Savoury and sweet versions of this classic have appeared, using ingredients from around the world. Fondu recipes are quick and easy to make. They usually involve creating and heating a sauce and providing items to dip, such as meat, marshmallows and fruit pieces. Most fruit used in fondues in the past was for dipping, however versions have also started appearing like the Blackberry recipe below, where the fruit is used to create the sauce.

• 1 lb Blackberries.
• 4 teaspoons of Cornflour.
• 1 ¼ cup of Single cream.
• 1/3 cups of Icing sugar.
• 3 tablespoons of Framboise(or other Raspberry Beer).
• 2 x Egg whites.
• 2/3 cups of Icing sugar.
  

Sieve the Blackberries through a medium sieve and discard seeds. Put the puree to one side while you prepare the rest of the fondue.

To produce quick meringues:
1. Preheat the oven to 320 F.
2. Cover a baking sheet with non-stick paper.
3. Place the egg whites and icing sugar in a bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of hot water. With an electric whisk, whisk until mixture in stiff and forms into peaks.
4. Put the egg mixture in a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm star nozzle. Pipe small blobs onto the lined baking sheet.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until crisp on the outside.

For the fondue:
1. In a saucepan, mix the cornflour smoothly with a small amount of the cream.
2. Slowly stir in the rest of the cream then add sugar and Blackberry puree.
3. Cook over a low heat until smooth and thickened.
4. Stir in the Framboise then pour into a fondue pot.

Serve with the meringues for dipping.

Whether to eat on your own or for a dinner party, 2007 is definitely the year to bring out your fondue set and try something new

***Article by Fiona Dutton