Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Gourmet-gift expert Shari Fitzpatrick (Shari's Berries) shows how to achieve gourmet chocolate-dipped treats at home for much less than retail price.

24-30 perfectly ripened strawberries, green caps intact
6 oz (.375 lb) sweet, semi-sweet, bitter sweet, milk and/or white chocolate. Preferably chocolate chips, chocolate calets or chocolate bars coarsely chopped.

Believe it or not, chocolate chips are really the best way to melt chocolate. They are available at grocery stores in dark-, white- or milk-chocolate varieties and taste wonderful. Melting them is the key, so utilize the easy method provided below.

Microwave Melting Chocolate
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chips using either the defrost setting or 10-percent power in the microwave. Use two to three minute increments until smooth. (More info on melting chocolate)

Dipping Strawberries

Yes, there is a technique involved to perfect chocolate-covered strawberries. When you dip the strawberry into the melted chocolate, give it a little shake as you withdraw it. This will fill in all the cracks and leave a nice, even line of chocolate at the base. When the strawberry is completely withdrawn from the chocolate, swirl it in a quick, clockwise motion to "spin" the dripping chocolate off.

Invert the hand, pointing the strawberry at the ceiling, to seal it and allow you to sprinkle other candies or toppings around the surface.

Cool covered strawberries on a sheet pan with wax paper. Keep them at a cool room temperature and try to dip them the same day you serve them.

Tuxedo Strawberries

Dip strawberries in both white and dark chocolate to create a tuxedo effect. Dip in white first, let the chocolate dry, then dip twice in dark chocolate, giving them that little shake to keep a straight line. Buttons and a bow tie can easily be added with the tip of a wooden skewer or piped on using a paper cone.

Ingredients

Directions

Sift together flour and salt in a mixing bowl.

Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles large coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle water over flour mixture, using a fork to stir it in gently to make it gather into a ball (the less water the better - just enough to hold it together).

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and shape with your hands into two balls, one slightly larger than the other.

Chill dough for 1 hour, then roll out ball to a 8" or 9" circle.

Now, mix sugar, butter and all-purpose flour in a separate bowl, then add a dash of salt and stir in berries.

Mix some of the "crushed berries" into the simple syrup.

Mound about a cup of the berry mixture onto the circle of dough, fold over the edges to enclose the filling.

Repeat until all dough and berries are used.

Preheat oven to 350f degrees.

The enclosed bundles of berries are placed in a 9x13 baking pan.

Over this a syrup is poured to the depth of the first knuckle of my grandmother's index finger (maybe about one inch).

I'm guessing it was a simple sugar syrup, but maybe with the addition of some smashed blackberries.

All of this was cooked in a 350 degree oven until it looked REALLY good--brown and bubbly--with the whole house smelling heavenly.

See note; Simple Syrup 2 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 cups light corn syrup 1 1/4 cups water Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan.

Stir over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved.

When clear, wash down sides of pan with a brush dipped in cold water.

Cover saucepan for 5 minutes to allow steam to dissolve any remaining sugar crystals.

Uncover and increase the heat.

Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Cool, pour into jars, and cover tightly.

Store at room temperature.

Makes about 2 3/4 cups.