Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Carefully wash the strawberries so the stems stay on. Use a paper towel to dry it off. If the strawberry is still wet, the chocolate won’t stick. 

 

Take the extra step to line a baking sheet with parchment paper, which allows you to easily remove the chocolate covered strawberries from the pan. 

 

Instead of using the microwave, I prefer the double boiler method since it gives you more control when melting chocolate. It’s like melting your chocolate over a bath of warm water! Be careful with your chocolate as it burns quickly (see tip 4 below).

 

To make a double boiler, fill a small pot with water and simmer it on low heat. Steam should be rising from the water. If the water is boiling, it’s too hot. Place a small heat proof bowl on top of the pot. Add chocolate to the bowl and stir using a small metal spoon until melted (around 2-3 minutes). It should be a smooth, liquidy consistency. The lumps should be gone and it’s easy to stir.

 

I have burned chocolate countless times. Burnt chocolate is difficult to stir and starts to form clumps. If you encounter this situation it’s best to melt a fresh batch of chocolate.

 

Using your fingers, hold the strawberry by the stem by pinching the leaves together. Then, dip it in the chocolate. This allows you to cover the strawberry with more chocolate.

 

You don’t need fancy tools to crush stuff. After I scrape the white cream from the Oreo cookies I throw it in a cup with a handle, like a mason jar, then I smash it with the flat edge of a rolling pin. This also works for almonds, cashews, etc. I like using a cup instead of a bowl because it contains all the crushed bits.