Dulce de Leche Fondue

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1/2 hour
NOTES: If making up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill; reheat to serve. This fondue is inclined to scorch, so keep heat low Porcelain-glazed cast-iron and ceramic pans used with a heat diffuser, and pans nested in hot water, maintain the most even temperature. Choose 2 to 4 kinds of fruit--apples, bananas, dried apricots, firm-ripe pears, grapes, pineapples, strawberries. Cut fruits that discolor readily just before serving, such as apples, bananas, and pears, and brush pieces with lemon juice. MAKES: About 1 cup; 4 servings

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
2 to 4 tablespoons rum (optional)
3 to 4 cups bite-size pieces fruit (see notes)
1 1/2 cups 3/4-inch chunks angel food or pound cake (optional)

1. In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat, frequently stir pecans until lightly toasted, 4 to 5 minutes; pour into a small bowl.
2. In the same pan over high heat, shake and tilt sugar often until melted and amber-colored, about 3 minutes; take care not to scorch.
3. Remove from heat and add whip ping cream and rum (mixture foams). Return pan to medium heat and stir until caramel is dissolved and smooth; boil vigorously, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickly coats a spoon, about 10 minutes.
4. Pour into a 1 1/2 to 2-cup ceramic fondue pan, other heavy metal pan, or metal chafing dish in a water bath jacket. Set over a votive candle or ignited alcohol or canned solid-fuel flame. Adjust heat to lowest setting under fondue pan, to medium under chafing dish.
5. Spear fruit or cake, 1 piece at a time, on fondue forks or thin skewers (metal or wood) and swirl through dulce de leche fondue (stir across bottom frequently to prevent scorching), lift out, and let drip briefly over pan. Sprinkle bites with a few nuts, as desired.

Per serving: 336 cal., 51% (171 cal.) from fat; 2.1 g protein; 19 g fat (12 g sat.); 43 g carbo (2 g fiber): 22 mg sodium; 66 mg chol.

Long associated with cheese fondue, thick ceramic pans now come in Several sizes and colors, as well as the established earthen tones. These containers sit on denatured alcohol or canned solid-fuel burners, or over votive candles, and work well with cheese and dessert fondues, which need low to moderate heat. Some sets come with heat diffusers that provide better control and protect the ceramic from breaking. Prices for a 1- to 2-quart ceramic fondue set range from $60 to $150.

For broth and the traditional oil fondues, you need a metal container that can take high heat. Some units have electric burners with adjustable controls. Prices for these fondue sets range from $20 to about $300.

Porcelain-glazed cast-iron pans work for all types of fondues. Metal chafing dishes, with or without their water bath jackets, also make suitable containers for fondue. Or you can improvise with pans over portable burners; just be sure the setup is stable enough to be safe.