BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Make sure anything that will touch the fondue is very dry, as water can cause chocolate to seize. Prep all of your dippers: cut fruit, poundcake, and crispy treats into bite-sized pieces (no need to cut items that are easy to dip whole, such as mini-pretzels and marshmallows). Arrange on a serving platter (if you have a larger group, divide them between two platters, then place one on each side of the pot for easy access).

In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half over medium-high heat, until it is just beginning to gently simmer and bubbles have formed around the edges (do not bring to a full boil). Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Let sit undisturbed for 1 minute.

With a rubber spatula, slowly and gently stir the chocolate until the warm half-and-half melts it completely. The fondue should look smooth and glossy. If at any point it begins to look gritty, add more half-and-half 1 teaspoon at a time to smooth it out. As long as you’ve chopped the chocolate small, it should all melt within a minute or two of stirring. If it doesn’t, place the sauce pan over very LOW heat and SLOWLY warm the chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat as soon as it is nearly melted (chocolate can burn easily, and once it does there is no going back).

Off the heat, stir in the espresso powder, vanilla extract, and liqueur. Immediately transfer to a fondue pot. Enjoy warm with dippers.