Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Plump juicy strawberries coated with a crisp shell of chocolate create fruit truffles that are both light and delicious. The perfect addition to any brunch, or with a glass of champagne for dessert, these decadent yet innocent treats combine two favorite flavors that will make your heart sing.

To prepare Chocolate Dipped Strawberries:

Cooks note: There really is no magic to dipping berries, but here are a few tips that will help you.

Start with the freshest berries you can find. This is not always an easy task, but look for berries that are bright in color, firm with no soft or dark spots, and that have bright green tops. Wash the berries and spread them out on a towel to dry completely. Make sure the berries and the tops are totally dry before starting. Chocolate and water do not mix!

Use a good quality chocolate for dipping. I like to use a dark and a white chocolate, however you can use whatever you prefer. Some recipes call for adding oil to the chocolate. If you are using a quality product, there is no reason to do so.

One of the great things about this treat is you can make any quantity you choose. If you intend to preparing a large quantity, I find it best to melt the chocolate over a double boiler. If I am only dipping a dozen or so, I temper my chocolate in the microwave in a small bowl to conserve chocolate, and make dipping easy. Gently pull the leaves up to create a handle. Dip the berry and tip it from side to side to coat. If your berries are different sizes, dip the largest berries first, while the dish is full of chocolate.

Gently shake the berries to allow the extra chocolate to drip off. Place the dipped strawberries on a wax or parchment paper lined sheet pan to set up. The chocolate will harden in about 20 -30 minutes depending on the temperature in your work space. I do not recommend placing your berries in the fridge. While the cold temperature of the fridge will speed up the hardening process, it will cause the chocolate to sweat.

It is almost impossible not to get chocolate on your fingers. Keep a damp and a dry towel handy to clean your hands, but make sure your fingers are dry before moving on.

There will be some wasted chocolate. It is impossible to use every drop when dipping. Remember the chocolate you have used to dip now contains some strawberry, so it is really not much use for any other project. I spread the remaining amount out on to a piece of wax paper and allow it to harden. Break into pieces, easy strawberry chocolate fudge!

Once the chocolate shell is hardened, I like to drizzle the berries with a contrasting color of chocolate for interest. I place the berries on a wire rack over wax paper to do so. Be creative and have fun.

Make sure to allow plenty of time for your chocolates to set up. Wear rubber gloves to handle your chocolates. Warm fingers leave prints.

Chocolate dipped strawberries do not hold very long. You can dip them a day ahead, but I would advise against any longer, as the strawberries will break down. Store your berries lightly covered at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. I do not recommend placing them in the fridge for storage. This is a treat that is best prepared the same day you plan to serve them.