Go with the Flow

Chocolate fountains have been down-sized, to offer a rich and indulgent experience right at home

YOU'VE SEEN them at wedding parties and on the dessert stations of fancy buffets -- tall, three-tiered cascading fountains of chocolate heaven.

Their presence adds a touch of class, elegance and rich ambiance to an event. You might say to yourself, what a perfect entertaining gadget, if only it were small and manageable.

Well, it is.

This Valentine's Day, consider inviting a couple of couples over for a fancy chocolate-dipping party. Chocolate fountains scaled for home use are all the rage. Local Costco stores, for example, nearly exhausted their supplies over the Christmas holiday, a spokeswoman said.

An offshoot of the fondue craze, chocolate fountains have all the elements of indulgence and entertainment rolled in one. It makes for quite a mouthwatering centerpiece, not to mention the perfect tool for intimacy, as everyone gathers 'round to dip morsels in the chocolate waterfall.

These home-use fountains generally stand a little over a foot tall and have the same three tiers as larger commercial models. For the sake of pre-Valentine's research, my friends and I took the Rival model for a trial run last week.

The little fountain must be placed on a flat surface near an electric outlet. Because of the hot liquid chocolate it will soon contain, precautions must be taken to ensure that the fountain does not tip over and is placed where it cannot accidentally be knocked around.

Some assembly is required: A large bowl that holds the chocolate is secured to the base. An auger -- a long, spiral piece standing in the center -- carries the chocolate from the bowl up and over plastic dome-shaped canopies. This action provides that "fountaining" look.

It's pretty simple. The real work comes in prepping the melted chocolate and dipping ingredients. The fountain requires 3 to 5 pounds of chocolate, although more chocolate seems to work better, producing a more uniform flow.

Fortunately, any kind of chocolate can be used. Packaged chocolate chips work just as well as any premium blocks of chocolate.

The chocolate is first melted in the microwave or over a double boiler. Vegetable oil is added as the chocolate is melting (the amount varies with the amount and type of chocolate used). The chocolate should be melted completely to a smooth consistency before transferring into the fountain. Be careful not to add any other liquid, such as water or liquor. This will cause the chocolate to seize, or become grainy and lumpy.

The Rival fountain should be preheated three to five minutes before placing the melted chocolate into the bowl. Then, simply switch to the heater/motor setting and voila! Instant chocolate fountain!

Dipping ingredients can vary greatly, depending on your taste and imagination. Make sure all are cut into bite-size pieces for ease of dipping and devouring.

Fresh fruits such as strawberries, pineapple and banana are perfect. Other goodies such as marshmallows, biscotti, cookies, cubes of cake, macaroons, crackers, nuts and even mochi can be offered. What doesn't taste good dipped in chocolate?

Bamboo skewers are convenient for dipping, or if you want to be a little fancier, hunt down metal skewers at specialty kitchen shops.

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Home-use chocolate fountains are priced from $50 to $200, depending on make and model. They can be found at Costco, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Williams-Sonoma, Macy's and Sears, but supplies are limited. Many online sources are also available. Try www.target.com for a basic selection.