The Stockade Bed & Breakfast

Chocolate-dipped Strawberries: Dessert

Servings: 0

Ingredients:

• 

  2 pints strawberries

• 

  1 lb candy-making chocolate (milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white)

• 

  1 teaspoon Paramount Crystals

• 

  Finely chopped and toasted almonds, pecans or pistachios (optional)

• 

  Baking sheet, covered with sheet of waxed paper

Step 1:

Rinse berries and pat very dry with paper towels. In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate on high for 2 minutes, stir, and continue to heat for 1 more minute. Remove from microwave and stir. You will still notice a few lumps in the chocolate, but these will melt from the warmth of the melted chocolate. Do not overheat. As soon as the chocolate is smooth, add the Paramount Crystals and stir. They dissolve quickly.

Step 2:

Holding berry by stem, dip into chocolate and cover about ¾ of the berry. Then dip tip of berry into nuts if desired and place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strawberries, chocolate and nuts.

Step 3:

For double dipped berries: After first coating is set, dip into contrasting chocolate, leaving part of the first coating exposed. To drizzle strawberries with chocolate: lay berries close together on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Place melted chocolate in decorator bag or plastic bag. With scissors cut a very tiny hole in the corner of the plastic bag or the bottom of the decorator bag and while squeezing gently, move back and forth over berries. For a fine drizzle of chocolate, the chocolate needs to be rather thin. If necessary add just a few more Paramount Crystals. For a real “gourmet looking” fine drizzle, hold the bag higher up rather than just above the berries. The line of chocolate will thin out even more.

Step 4:

Refrigerate if you are making ahead of time (Two or more hours).