Chocolate cake… chocolate ice cream… chocolate mousse… chocolate soufflé… chocolate bars… and boxes and boxes of chocolate truffles and bonbons.

What about hot melted chocolate? We’re in the midst of a fondue renaissance. But rather than drag out the fondue pot and dip marshmallows, cake and fruit into melted chocolate (not that there’s anything wrong with that), we offer you a sophisticated foodie twist.

We propose for your dessert, snacking or party pleasure, a truffle melt. We hasten to add that we’re not suggesting that you melt down a box of truffles. It’s something just as tasty but much more cost-effective—a chocolate fondue variation that may become as big a favorite with your family and friends as it is with ours.

Instead of serving melted chocolate in a communal fondue dipping pot, you’ll serve the melted chocolate in individual cups or bowls, and instead of dipping fruit, cake or marshmallows, each participant mixes in his/her individual choice of additions to create custom blends.

If you supply everyone with small saké or demitasse cups instead of one larger cup or bowl, everyone can be a chocolatier for the evening and create a small selection of personal blends.

Because personal preferences vary, we’re providing Spicy Truffle Melt and Traditional Melt recipes. Spicy accents are hot (no pun intended). Thanks to fusion cuisine, the finest American chocolatiers have incorporated the flavors of the world into their chocolates; and these have found many fans.

Now you can experiment with exotic-flavored chocolates at home, by opening up the spice cabinet and your imagination. Read the full article, complete with recipes and instructions.

Top: Chocolate fondue from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Bottom: Laderach Chocolatier Suisse suggests mixing in paprika, allspice, chili, cinnamon-nutmeg, coconut-curry, ginger or cardamom.