“Doubtless God could have made a better berry then the strawberry, but doubtless God never did.” –William Allen Butler
How To Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Biting into a chocolate covered strawberry is indulgent and delightful. Perhaps it is the combination of the richness of the chocolate and the sweetness of the strawberry that makes this dessert so extraordinary. It lands a spot in the hearts and minds of those with a sweet tooth, making it a surefire gift for first dates and for Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate covered strawberries fill the glass countertops of bakeries, pastry shops, and cafes. They cost from three to five dollars each, depending on the shop. But you don’t need to spend so much on a dessert that could be made in the comfort of your own home. Whether you are thinking about treating yourself to a great dessert or surprising a significant other, you can create your own chocolate covered strawberries that look professional and taste spectacular.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ingredients to Buy
How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
The first important step in making great chocolate covered strawberries is to buy the freshest ingredients.
Types of Strawberries for Chocolate
You want to select long-stem strawberries, which are bigger than your typical supermarket strawberries packaged in pint-sized containers. Choose strawberries with a slight firmness. Strawberries that are too soft are overripe, and can be bruised during the dipping process. They should also have a bright red hue. A greenish or whitish tint often means that the strawberry is not ripe enough, which would yield a sour taste. Dark red strawberries are the sweetest, but are too ripe for dipping.
Once you have found a dozen good strawberries, clean them. Rinse the strawberries with water, taking care not to press too hard. Drain any excess water and let them air dry. Do not remove the stem or leaves, since they adorn the strawberry and give you a spot to hold.
Types of Chocolate for Strawberries
The quality of the chocolate you use is as important as the quality of the strawberries. High quality chocolates use a higher cocoa content and a higher proportion of cocoa butter. This gives the chocolate a rich and deep flavor. Whole Foods and other gourmet markets sell high quality chocolates by the pound. Also, depending on preference, you can use unsweetened, milk, dark or even white chocolate.
Unsweetened chocolate contains no sugar, only cocoa and cocoa butter. This might be a good choice for people who prefer desserts with less sweetness.
For milk chocolate, milk powder or condensed milk is added to give it a creamy texture. It has a higher sugar content than dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate (also known as semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate), has a higher cocoa content, giving it a deep chocolate taste with a tinge of bitterness. It is also full of antioxidants, which have health benefits.
White chocolate is made from sugar, milk powder, and cocoa butter, with no cocoa solids. Chocolate pedants don’t even consider white chocolate to be a chocolate. But it is just as suitable for dipping as the other chocolates. Expect a sweeter and milkier taste compared to the other chocolates.
Consider buying all of the above kinds of chocolate to make a variety of chocolate covered strawberries.
Making Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Once you have your two main ingredients, you’re ready to make your chocolate covered strawberries.
- Break up a bark of chocolate into small pieces with your hands.
- Place a spat of butter (about 2 tablespoons) into a saucepan over the stove.
- Then add the chocolate to the saucepan and stir. The chocolate should melt quickly and combine with the butter.
- Continue to stir until the chocolate is smooth.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and begin dipping. Don’t wait too long or the chocolate will start to harden.
Dipping the Strawberries
- To dip the strawberries, hold the stem of the strawberry in one hand and the saucepan in the other.
- Tilt the saucepan so that the chocolate collects at an angle.
- Dip the strawberry into the puddle of chocolate with a slight twirling motion so that the strawberry is completely covered in chocolate.
- Then place the finished strawberry on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
- Repeat for the rest of the strawberries.
Variations
For variations, try adding a swirl of a different chocolate over the chocolate covered strawberry. To do this, wait until the milk or dark chocolate covered strawberry cools. Then dip a fork into a melted pot of white chocolate and lift up the chocolate. Drizzle it on top of the strawberry with a quick zig-zag motion. Once it cools, you should see white swirls over the dark chocolate.
Finally, put the baking sheet with the covered strawberries into the refrigerator and wait at least an hour. This will give the chocolate time to set. Once they harden, they will not melt in room temperature. Arrange them nicely in a box and you can be sure to bring a smile to the recipient of this wonderful treat.
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