Hi,

I'm making a chocolate fondue that has light cream in it. I'm wondering,
with all the stuff it's mixed with, if it will spoil if prepared and then
left out for a long time. Can it last as long as, say, a chocolate bar or
does it have a limited shelf life at room temp?

And what thickener would be best for chocolate fondue (I want a thick
consistency for what I'm doing), pectin, corn starch, something else?

Thanks!

Jay

On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 12:47:14 -0800, "Jay Wolfe" >
wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I'm making a chocolate fondue that has light cream in it. I'm wondering,
>with all the stuff it's mixed with, if it will spoil if prepared and then
>left out for a long time. Can it last as long as, say, a chocolate bar or
>does it have a limited shelf life at room temp?
>
>And what thickener would be best for chocolate fondue (I want a thick
>consistency for what I'm doing), pectin, corn starch, something else?
>
You'll be satisfied with the thickness if you don't overdo the cream
and how many days do you plan to leave it out?

Is your recipe similar to this?

Classic Chocolate Fondue Recipe
http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/cho...uerecipes.html

1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until hot,
about 2 to 3 minutes. When hot, add the chocolate and stir until it is
just melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Transfer to a warm ceramic
fondue pot.

Serve with your choices of fresh strawberries, bananas, apple wedges,
pound cake, ladyfingers, and almond biscotti.

Serves 6 or more.

--
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remove the smiley face first

<sf> wrote in message ...
> On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 12:47:14 -0800, "Jay Wolfe" >
> wrote:
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>I'm making a chocolate fondue that has light cream in it. I'm wondering,
>>with all the stuff it's mixed with, if it will spoil if prepared and then
>>left out for a long time. Can it last as long as, say, a chocolate bar or
>>does it have a limited shelf life at room temp?
>>
>>And what thickener would be best for chocolate fondue (I want a thick
>>consistency for what I'm doing), pectin, corn starch, something else?
>>
> You'll be satisfied with the thickness if you don't overdo the cream
> and how many days do you plan to leave it out?
>
> Is your recipe similar to this?
>
> Classic Chocolate Fondue Recipe
> http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/cho...uerecipes.html
>
> 1 cup heavy cream
> 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
> 1 teaspoon vanilla
>
> Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until hot,
> about 2 to 3 minutes. When hot, add the chocolate and stir until it is
> just melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Transfer to a warm ceramic
> fondue pot.
>
> Serve with your choices of fresh strawberries, bananas, apple wedges,
> pound cake, ladyfingers, and almond biscotti.
>
> Serves 6 or more.
>

Hi, thanks for the reply. My recipe is similar, but uses light cream, creme
de cacao, and baker's chocolate. It's not going to be used as a fondue,
but as a filling (and needs to be thick when cooled), and will be left out
for a week or more. I know chocolate bars have milk/cream and don't spoil
but I don't know what keeps it from spoiling.

make sense?

> --
> See return address to reply by email
> remove the smiley face first

Jay Wolfe > wrote:

> My recipe is similar, but uses light cream, creme de cacao,
> and baker's chocolate. It's not going to be used as a fondue,
> but as a filling (and needs to be thick when cooled), and
> will be left out for a week or more. I know chocolate bars
> have milk/cream and don't spoil but I don't know what keeps it
> from spoiling.

> make sense?

Not to me it doesn't make sense. The big difference between
a chocolate bar and chocolate fondue is the amount of moisture.
Chocolate bars do not spoil because there is no moisture for
stuff to grow on.

Note that lots of dry foods are shelf-stable, those that
are jellies/sauces/solutions/emulsions often require refrigeration,
or are full of preservatives.

Another question is whether your fondue will remain emulsified
for a week all on its own, or whether it would separate into
aquaeous, fat, and solid phases.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote

> Not to me it doesn't make sense. The big difference between
> a chocolate bar and chocolate fondue is the amount of moisture.
> Chocolate bars do not spoil because there is no moisture for
> stuff to grow on.

True. And the moister parts of a bar are always loaded in sugar, as
the creamy "mou" part of the mars bars.

> Note that lots of dry foods are shelf-stable, those that
> are jellies/sauces/solutions/emulsions often require refrigeration,
> or are full of preservatives.

And these preservatives can be as simple as plain old as sugar, along
with the usual industrial / chemical preservatives.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

In article >,
"Jay Wolfe" > wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm making a chocolate fondue that has light cream in it. I'm wondering,
> with all the stuff it's mixed with, if it will spoil if prepared and then
> left out for a long time. Can it last as long as, say, a chocolate bar or
> does it have a limited shelf life at room temp?

It has the same shelf life as the cream. If you need to store it,
refrigerate it.

> And what thickener would be best for chocolate fondue (I want a thick
> consistency for what I'm doing), pectin, corn starch, something else?

More chocolate.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> Jay Wolfe > wrote:
>
>> My recipe is similar, but uses light cream, creme de cacao,
>> and baker's chocolate. It's not going to be used as a fondue,
>> but as a filling (and needs to be thick when cooled), and
>> will be left out for a week or more. I know chocolate bars
>> have milk/cream and don't spoil but I don't know what keeps it
>> from spoiling.
>
>> make sense?
>
> Not to me it doesn't make sense. The big difference between
> a chocolate bar and chocolate fondue is the amount of moisture.
> Chocolate bars do not spoil because there is no moisture for
> stuff to grow on.
>
> Note that lots of dry foods are shelf-stable, those that
> are jellies/sauces/solutions/emulsions often require refrigeration,
> or are full of preservatives.
>
> Another question is whether your fondue will remain emulsified
> for a week all on its own, or whether it would separate into
> aquaeous, fat, and solid phases.
>
> Steve

I know there's a way to do it, but I'm not a food company and I don't have a
lab or lots of time to research it. I've had plenty of creamy chocolates
that had very liquid centers. I just don't know what their secrets are, or
if they're necessary. Obviously I don't want the mixture to separate, which
is why I thought maybe the thickeners would help.