Chocolate Covered Strawberries
When my husband and I met, our special treat was always chocolate covered strawberries. Now, 25 years later, I still love to make them for Valentine’s Day. They are also a great quick dessert if unexpected company shows up in the summer! I always have both strawberries and chocolate on hand and they take just minutes to make. They taste just as delicious if they are plain chocolate covered or decorated. They are also a great treat to make with children! They can help dip and decorate. Once the strawberries are used up, I like to get creative in what else we can dip. Think of it as a chocolate fondue! Bananas, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, pretzels, cookies, etc. Even fingers work great! : D
Ingredients:
1 lb. organic strawberries, preferably 1-2” in size with stems/leaves
6 oz. good quality Chocolate Chips (your choice: dairy free, sugar free, organic, etc.)
1 Tbsp. flavorless oil ( avocado or refined coconut oil work well here)
Optional toppings (white chocolate drizzle, chopped nuts, cocoa nibs, GF sprinkles, coconut, etc.)
Directions:
Wash and dry your berries, ensuring that they are completely dry before dipping in chocolate.
Pour chocolate chips into a heat proof bowl and set over a small pot of barely simmering water. Add 1 Tbsp. of oil to the chocolate chips. This will give the chocolate a nice shine. Stir chips and oil every few minutes until the chips are almost all melted. Watch this carefully. You want to remove the chocolate from the heat BEFORE the chips are completely melted. This will help to temper your chocolate and prevent it from looking dull after setting. Continue to stir, off the heat, allowing the heat in the chocolate to completely melt all the chocolate chips. If needed, you can always put the chocolate back on the heat and stir for a minute to loosen up the chocolate while dipping.
While melting chocolate, prepare a sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper. Also prepare any toppings you want to use by pouring them into small bowls near your work area.
Holding each strawberry by the stem, dip into the chocolate. When coming out of the chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place berry on your prepared pan and sprinkle with any toppings. If drizzling with white chocolate, I recommend chilling the berries first for about 10 min. before drizzling. If chocolate begins to thicken as you are dipping, just place the bowl back over the hot water and stir for a minute until it thins out again and continue dipping.
For a white chocolate drizzle, dip a fork into the melted white chocolate and drizzle OR place white chocolate in a disposable pastry bag with a small round tip and drizzle.
Chill strawberries in the fridge until set, about 10-15 minutes.