One of the most traditional Valentine’s Day confections is the infamous chocolate-covered strawberry. From dark chocolate, milk chocolate, to white chocolate, there is a lot to love about these candy-covered berries, but if you are not a super huge fan of chocolate or you just want to try something different, this recipe is the perfect recipe for you.
While this Valentine’s chocolate-covered strawberries recipe does, in fact, include a candy-like chocolate, what makes these strawberries so different is the presentation. Instead of the chocolate brown or creamy white chocolate look, these chocolate-covered strawberries are vibrant and beautifully presented. Whether you are making these for your sweetheart, or you are treating yourself to some Valentine’s Day fun, these Valentine’s chocolate-covered strawberries are sure to be a huge hit.
Why Chocolate Covered Strawberries?
The chocolate-covered strawberry emerged in popular culture in the 1960s when a woman first tried them out in her gourmet store in Chicago. Since then, the chocolate-covered strawberry has become a huge hit, not only for Valentine’s Day, but for Mother’s Day, birthdays, and even Easter and Christmas.
What’s so great about the chocolate-covered strawberry is that it is an easy dessert or snack to make and even easier to customize with different colored sprinkles, nuts, cookie crumbles, coconut – pretty much anything you can think of. When beautifully decorated, chocolate-covered strawberries make an exceptional gift and anyone who receives them is sure to indulge. Just be warned, chocolate-covered strawberries are kind of like potato chips – you can’t just eat one!
Can You Use Other Fruits?
Absolutely! This is a great recipe for pretty much any kind of fruit you like best as it’s pretty much the same process for everything. For example, this recipe would be great with bananas, apples, or even pineapples. You could even do an assortment of these kinds of fruits for a really great fruit tray presentation and a beautiful gift. You could even take it a step farther and skewer the fruits on a skewer stick and create your very own fruit bouquet, but keep in mind that some of these candies may fall off in transport.
Can You Use Other Types of Chocolate?
Yes. You can pretty much use whatever type of chocolate you like, but keep in mind if it’s not melting candy or melting chocolate, it may get soft or even start to melt. When using other types of chocolate, it’s best to keep your berries laying flat in an airtight tray that can be stored in the refrigerator to prevent your chocolate from melting and the berries from oozing.
You can also use different colors of chocolate, even the standard milk chocolate that you can decorate with a drizzle of white chocolate. You can still add all the sprinkles and other candies you like, but this is a more standard way to decorate your strawberries and they will always look great.
How to Store and Keep Chocolate Covered Strawberries
The best way to store chocolate-covered strawberries is by placing them in an airtight container and putting them into the fridge. If a strawberry is cold and then left at room temperature, the fruit will start to get immediately soggy and the chocolate will either start to melt or start to fall off due to the oozing fruit.
The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen and keep your chocolate-covered strawberries fresh before they are gifted is to store them in the fridge and only take them out when you are ready to give them away. This will help the overall presentation and your candy will stay intact and your sprinkles should also stay on.
How to Make Valentine’s Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries
With this super simple recipe, you can easily create your very own chocolate-covered strawberries and once you get the hang of it, you will never have to purchase store-bought chocolate-covered strawberries again! It’s so easy, so easily customizable, and perfect for absolutely any kind of gift.
Equipment:
- Parchment Paper
- Bowl for chocolate
- Bowls for Sprinkles
- Skewers
- Piping bags
Ingredients for the Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- 1 pack fresh strawberries
- 1 cup white candy melts
- 1 cup red candy melts
How to make the Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Step 1: Prep
Most importantly, rinse and drain your strawberries well to get rid of any dirt, bugs, or pesticides. Then, pat them dry on a paper towel ensuring no water left on them, as this will harden the chocolate.
Step 2: Time to Melt
Melt the candy melts for about 45 seconds at regular temp in your microwave. Stir and return to the microwave for an extra 30 seconds. Remove and stir until the melt is smooth. But if a few lumps are still present, return to the microwave in 15-second increments until it is all melted and smooth.
Note: The chocolate should not be piping hot as this will burn it. It will be melted and should easily flow from a piping bag. If your chocolate is too hot, let it sit for a few minutes before placing it within the bag to prevent the bag from becoming damaged and to prevent the heat from bruising your strawberries.
Step 3: Prep Your Strawberries
Once the chocolate is nice and melted set up your clean workstation with parchment paper, sprinkles, and chocolate. Stick a skewer through the top of a strawberry and then dip it into the chocolate. Run the bottom across the side of the bowl to help drain off excess chocolate. Place onto parchment paper and let air dry for 10-15 minutes. Repeat for each strawberry.
Step 4: Decorate
Add sprinkles immediately if you are not going to add a second color or design so they stick while the chocolate is still wet. If adding a second color (as pictured) let the strawberries set completely before creating a pattern on the berries.
Cut a small hole in the tip of the piping bag and squeeze melted chocolate as you move your hands in a back-and-forth motion across the top of the berries, careful not to touch the tip of the bag on the set chocolate. Add sprinkles or leave as is.
Step 5: Allow to Set
Let them all to set fully which takes about 15-20 minutes, before serving. They should be easy to handle after that and not stick to your fingers.
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