Chocolate Covered Strawberries

In my 20’s, I thought delights such as champaign were only for weddings and other “fancy” celebrations – a pattern of thinking ingrained from my past experience and a humble upbringing.  After I got married and began to travel with my husband, he started the habit of surprizing me with pre-ordered room treats – items such as chilled champaign, chocolate covered strawberries and the occasional cake. This, for me, was umber indulgent and it made me feel extremely special.  We were making time for “the finer things in life” – as they say! Over the years, this has inspired me to incorporate more decadence into our home life as well, especially when celebrating accomplishments and cherished moments.  Life is too short to wait for such things, don’t you agree?

My first attempt to make homemade chocolate covered strawberries was met with fantastic failure.  It started out simple

One happy hop to chocolate bliss...

enough, following the basic recipe included with a $10 fondue tea light kit.  Step 1 – stir ingredients in pan until melted…but no matter how vigorously stirred, the ingredients continued to collect into a large, uncontrollable mass.  No longer able to manage it with a spoon, I shoveled it into the (now pathetic looking) tea light contraption, where it sat, hardened, and eventually, burnt.  Determined to recreate vacation memories on the home front, I made a second attempt. My loving husband, obviously more talented than I in the kitchen, suggested a double boiler technique to soften the chocolate.  A technique which proved wildly successful.

Now, I suspect many of you might already be in the know as to how to melt chocolate.  I hope my story of failure and resolve has inspired you, and that my pictures continue to keep you entertained. Perhaps there are still a few of you out there who will find my how-to information useful.  So, without further delay,  I am proudly present “DIY chocolate covered strawberries”…bon appetite!

Materials

• Strawberries
• Dark chocolate (at least 70% coca) broken up into smaller pieces
• Double boiler (or 1 medium pot and 1 smaller heat proof pot/dish to sit inside)

Step 1:  Wash the strawberries and remove access water with paper towel. Look for and remove any strawberries that are bruised.  Be sure to leave the stems and pretty green tops on as they make handling the final product much easier for your guests.  Put the dried strawberries aside for later.

Strawberries in their raw, beautiful, natural state.

:  Fill the larger pot about half way with water.  Place the smaller pot or bowl on top of it, filling it with chocolate pieces.  Turn the burner to high until the water boils and occasionally stir until the chocolate has fully melted.  Turn the heat off and remove from burner.  Place aside on a heat safe surface.

Melting my chocolate into submission.

Step 2

Step 3:  Carefully remove the smaller pot or dish filled with chocolate.  Place next to strawberries and start dipping!  If you wish, placing a piece of parchment paper on your plate will allow you to peel the completed morsels up much easier, but it is not required.

Chocolate covered strawberries…a foot massage for your favourite someone…a nice home packed picnic in the park…whatever the indulgence, I implore you all to find that one thing and treat yourself to it this weekend.    ~LM