Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Chocolate-covered strawberries are the quintessential Valentine’s Day delight for everyone! They’re a special sweet treat to create with your kids, and they also serve as a romantic indulgence for adults. Enjoy them with minimal guilt, as they are primarily fruit, and revel in the health benefits of chocolate—especially the richer, darker varieties. It’s a delicious way to celebrate love during National Chocolate Month.

How exactly is chocolate healthy? According to the Chocolate Museum we visited in Brussels, Belgium this fall, here are some of the benefits:

• teeth – rich in fluor, tannins and phosphates, which reduces tooth decay
• lungs – reliefs cough
• liver – rich in antioxidants which protect the liver
• arteries – decreases the formation of blood clots in the arteries
• brain – diminishes the risk of stroke, stimulates vigilance, slows down the signs of fatigue and works as an anti-depressant
• heart – decreases risk of cardiac attack, ensures good blood circulation and keeps the heart in good condition
• muscles – improves endurance and muscle contraction during exercise

Keep in mind chocolate comes from the cacao fruit – so it’s technically fruit. And it’s not surprising that it works as an anti-depressant, we’ve never had a chocolate that didn’t raise our serotonin levels a bit. When we add a bunch of refined sugar to it, it will decrease some of the health benefits and increase some negative effects, so stick with the darker varieties if you’re wanting to be health conscious.

Chocolate-covered strawberries are best eaten the day they are made, as the strawberries tend to get soggy over time. They will usually last a day or two in the fridge, so plan quantities accordingly. If you enjoy making them so much that you end up making more than your family can eat, we are certain your friends won’t mind if you share. 

PLAN:

Decide what kind of chocolate you want for your strawberry confections. Do you want dark, semi-sweet, milk, and/or white chocolates? Do you want solid dips or chocolates with a contrasted drizzle – dip in white and drizzle with dark or dip in dark and drizzle with milk? What about some small sprinkles? 

INGREDIENTS:

Get your ingredients! Now that you’ve decided what kinds of chocolate you want to use – dark, milk or white – it’s time for the fun part. Baking or melting chocolate bars work best, but chocolate chips can work too. A little coconut oil can come in handy should you get into a mess while melting or just to add some softness to the texture.

• fresh red ripe strawberries
• melting chocolate – wafers, bars or chips in dark, milk and/or white
• coconut oil (optional)
• sprinkles (optional) if you use these be sure to get a small design

SUPPLIES:

• glass microwave safe bowl(s) (one for each type of melting chocolate) or double boiler
• spoon 
• tray (for cooling chocolate-covered strawberries)
• parchment or wax paper (for cooling chocolate-covered strawberries)
• disposable piping bag or ziplock bag with small corner snipped (optional for decorative drizzle/piping if desired) – could also use a spoon or fork
• scraper, spreader or dull butter knife (for putting chocolate into piping bags or molds)

PREPARE STRAWBERRY FRUIT:

Rinse strawberries in cool water and place on paper towel to dry. You’ll want to gently dab and rub the strawberries to ensure they are completely dry before dipping them in the chocolate as the chocolate will not stick to wet berries.

PREPARE FINISHING SURFACE:

Line a baking sheet with parchment (or wax) paper to place strawberries on when they have been dipped. You’ll want to have everything ready as once the chocolate is melted, you’ll want to work fast.

MELT CHOCOLATE:

Our two favorite ways to melt chocolate are in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove top. The microwave works best if you are using a variety of chocolates as you can use small bowls for each chocolate, and it’s very quick and easy. Patience is one of the secrets to melting good chocolate confections. Most of us have experienced the dry chalky outcome of overheated chocolate. So watch closely, stir gently and always stop heat when you still have chunks of chocolate as these will melt as you stir with the liquid parts.

Microwave method:

Place chocolate pieces in a microwave safe glass bowl(s). Heat in 20-30 second intervals. Stir between each interval. When the chocolate gets to a point of mostly melted but still having chunks, stir to melt the remaining chocolate pieces. Above we show some of the stages of our semi-sweet chocolate melting. Stopping and stirring often will guarantee best results. We worked this full bar of semi-sweet chocolate for about two minutes total. We did not microwave between the last two stages – just stir until the remaining chunks melt.

Stove Top Double Boiler Method:

Place water in the bottom pan and heat to just below a boil. Pour in chocolate chips or break up chocolate bars, if necessary, and add to the second pan and place on top of hot water. Once the chocolate pieces in the pan have mostly (75-80%) melted off the heat and stir to fully incorporate and finish melting the solid pieces. Be careful to avoid getting water in the chocolate. You can add a small amount of coconut oil (solid) to help keep the chocolate smooth if needed.

DIP STRAWBERRIES:

We love to use our small glass bowls for microwaving and dipping. Their size is perfect for ensuring the melted chocolate isn’t too shallow, making the dipping process smooth and efficient. If you’re using a double boiler, you can pour the melted chocolate into a small bowl so the chocolate is deep enough to get a good dip that more fully coats the berries. Dip the berries by holding onto the green part and immersing the red part into the chocolate leaving some of the red at the top near the green. Scrape the bottom end against the side of the bowl as you transfer to the parchment paper to avoid getting too much of a chocolate puddle at the base of each berry. If you are adding drizzle, put some of the chocolate into the prepared piping or ziplock bag. Keep the piping bag slightly warm or use it quickly, so the chocolate doesn’t harden before you use it. Dip each berry one by one. Use the piping bag for drizzle or if using a spoon or fork, just dip utensil into the melted chocolate and quickly go back and forth above the dipped fruit to make “drizzle” effect. If you are adding sprinkles, you’ll want to do those after each dip so the sprinkles stick to warm soft chocolate as they won’t stick once it has cooled and hardened. Place each dipped berry on your lined baking sheet to allow it to cool. 

For a more fancy decoration, you can also use your contrasting piping chocolate to make polka dots or decorate with hearts or a “tuxedo” look. 

COOL and EAT! YUM!

Fresh chocolate-covered strawberries are a bit of heaven! This recipe is part of our Eat the Rainbow series intended to inspire children and families to eat fruits and vegetables in all the colors of the rainbow in a variety of ways.