Valentines Special: Luscious Chocolate Dipped Strawberries!

With Valentines day just round the corner, EL the Cook gives you a simple recipe to celebrate the day of love between you and your partner. 

What better combination to choose than the

 Strawberry: heart shaped, crimson red, and a little acidic tinge!

&

Chocolate: Aphrodisiac, Rich sweet taste, leaves you wanting more!

So here's what you'll need for this amazingly simple recipe..

INGREDIENTS: 

• 500 gm  white, semisweet or milk chocolate
• 250 gm of additional dark chocolate (for decorating)
• 500 gm very fresh strawberries with leaves

 KITCHEN EQUIPMENT:

• Double boiler
• Plastic bag
• Microwave oven
• Paper Doily's
• Dessert Plates
• Tooth-picks
• Small Glass Bowl

METHOD:

• If the chocolate you are using is from a block or bar, chop it up. This will help it to melt more quickly and evenly. Melt it by either tempering it or melt it in a small bowl in a microwave oven. Don’t forget to stir the chocolate into a smooth consistency during the melting process.

• Take a strawberry and hold it by its green top. Plunge it into the bowl of melted chocolate so about 3/4 of the strawberry is covered.

• Pull the strawberry from the chocolate, twisting it to catch the chocolate back onto the strawberry.

• Briefly turn the strawberry upside down to settle the chocolate and then lay it on the waxed paper–lined cookie sheet. Repeat this procedure with the other strawberries, leaving an inch or two of space between each.

• Once all of the strawberries have been dipped and placed on the sheet, move the sheet to the refrigerator so the chocolate will harden more quickly.

• Melt the dark chocolate in a plastic bag in the microwave (follow the same procedure as you would with a bowl, but instead of stirring the chips as they melt, squish them in the bag). Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, snip off a small piece of one of the bag’s corners. Now you’re ready to stripe, squiggle or doodle away on your coated strawberries!

Luscious Chocolate dipped Strawberries! The perfect 15 minute Valentines Day gift for that someone extra special! Happy Valentines Everyone!