Mexican-Style Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream (see Cook's note)
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 8 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate

Dippers:

• Cubed pound cake
• Mini-bananas
• Fresh or dried orange slices
• Fresh or dried pears
• Almond cookies
• Coconut strips
• Strawberries

Directions

In small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and cinnamon sticks just to boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to steep for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and discard.

Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir the chocolate mixture until completely melted and smooth. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a fondue pot, and keep warm over a low sterno flame or in a large ramekin wrapped with a cloth napkin to keep it warm. Serve with a selection of the dippers.

Cook's note: This makes a thick fondue, for a thinner sauce, simply add more cream.