Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Happy Valentine’s Day! I considered baking something chocolate and decadent today to celebrate this holiday, but my husband doesn’t really care for decadent desserts, and I simply do not need those calories. Instead I decided to make a sweet treat that is easy to prepare, tastes amazing, and is even a little healthy for you too!
Although I do not crave chocolate often, there is nothing as irresistible as a perfectly strawberry dipped into dark chocolate. Here in Florida, strawberries are in season and are sweet, plump, and perfect for dipping. I prefer dark chocolate with at least 77% cocoa and for the best results, you should temper your chocolate to create a firm shell when dipping fruit.
Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant and antioxidants gobble up free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments. How great is that to find out that dark chocolate is actually heart healthy in moderation? Though there are a few different methods for tempering chocolate, I find the method below to be the easiest.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Ingredients
- 3 Ounces Quality Dark Chocolate, Chopped
- 12 Large Strawberries
Instructions
- Microwave 2/3 of the chocolate in a small bowl on medium for 1 minute, stir, then continue microwaving on in 20-second intervals until melted, stirring after each period until chocolate reaches 110 degrees F.
- Or place 2/3 of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water, and stir until melted and until chocolate reaches 110 degrees F.
- Place the top pan of the double boiler on a towel, and cool to 95°-100°F.
- Add the remaining one-third of chocolate to the pan, stirring continuously until melted.
- Dip strawberries in the melted chocolate, and place on sheets of parchment paper to harden.
