Last Minute Gifts: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Step 2 Materials

Let's face it, chocolate covered strawberries are messy! Those uninitiated will gripe about the chocolate sticking to every surface of the kitchen. While it is an unavoidable fact that you will have to put chocolate into something in order to facilitate the dipping process, I can assure you it will be just one container. In the spirit of "Last Minute Gift Giving," I hurried to the local Wal-Mart and bought all that was required just to clue you in on the expense involved.

For materials you will need:
A 10oz bag of chocolate (cheap works great) -$1.58
Two 1LB containers of whole strawberries -$4.99 x2
A double boiler or...
-a cooking pot (surely you have one of these?) -$FREE
-a METAL colander that fits the lip of said pot -$3.68
-glass or porcelain bowl that fits inside colander -$FREE
-paper towels or similar (I suggest placing a wad in your front belt loop) -$FREE
-aluminum pie plate larger than pot -$1.17
Fork (or knife in my case) -$FREE
Toothpicks -$0.48
Something that can hold toothpicks with strawberries upright that you wouldn't mind throwing away or cleaning (I like styrofoam boards) -$2.77
Wax paper (or use the Wal-Mart bags) -$FREE
Dishsoap/Scrubbing brush

optional:
a food safe thermometer (things go downhill past 140F)
a little lard (I hate buying things I use only once a year)
a second bag of opposite colored chocolate to decorate with (cheap is great)
sandwich bag for said decorating (gets some scissors or a sharp knife too)
I found a nice glass platter while I was shopping -$4.34

Total cost for a basic no thrills batch: -$14.81 (plus tax)
My cost for this particular batch: -$29.63 (plus tax)
**Keep in mind that I bought more chocolate, a glass platter, and a strainer**

Chocolate is a matter of personal taste. A semi-sweet base will best suit dark chocolate lovers. I think that it also adds a subtle complexity to the overall finished product. Milk chocolate is great for the chronic sweet tooth, and so gives a quite sweet experience. Both taste great regardless.

A crucial step is selecting the right bowl that will hold the melted chocolate. I have big hands, so it is most comfortable for me to have a wide, shallow bowl. Also with a wider bowl, you have more room to dip the strawberries. However, a bowl that is too shallow will risk you spilling chocolate into the boiler, but a deep bowl will cause heating issues with the chocolate in my experience. A good compromise for first timers--an everyday normal serial bowl.

You have a lot of freedom to experiment with adding things to your chocolate, which is one of the reasons why I recommend getting cheap chocolate in the first place. Don't get me wrong though, the cheap chocolate works great! It's just nice to spice it up once in a while. For this recipe I bought a Lindt white coconut bar ($2.07) because my girlfriend likes the taste and a Ghirardelli espresso bar ($1.98) to mix in the dip. In the past I have used French roast coffee grounds, vanilla extract, and a plethora of spices. Next batch I will try rum for "Christmas Rum Ball" chocolate covered strawberries. Let me know what you try in the comments.

Comments

[Nyxi]

:) With constant stirring, you can just microwave dark chocolate that's been broken up into little chunks. You'll just need one microwave safe bowl and a spoon, plus the chocolate of course. set it for only thirty seconds at a time and stir every time the timer stops.I used this method when I made my boyfriend an impromptu fondue meal with pineapple, bananas, grapes, marshmallows, and strawberries.