Please go to Shan's place for more What's Cooking Wednesday participants.
They bring up luxury, and yet they are simple to make and can be quite inexpensive. They're also a way I can get a couple of fruit servings into my fruit-and-vegetable aversive DS.
This week, I give to you our favorite dessert of the moment:
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients:
a pint (16 oz.) of strawberries (preferably on sale)
3 oz (more or less) of good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I buy this in bulk)
1/2 TBS unsalted butter
a splash or two of 1/2 and 1/2
Directions:
1. This is all about preparation. If you prep properly, the actual time to make the strawberries is about 5 minutes, max. So, first, place berries in a colander and wash them thoroughly. Place a piece of parchment paper over a baking sheet. Chop up about 2 - 3 oz. of chocolate (it can be big chunks, it doesn't have to be chopped fine. Now you're ready to go!
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan at medium low heat.
3. Add the chocolate. Stir with whisk.
4. When the chocolate is about 2/3 of the way melted, splash in the 1/2 and 1/2 until everything is somewhat creamy (don't add more 1/2 and 1/2 than this, or the chocolate won't set as well).
5. Take the chocolate off the burner and keep stirring until all is melted, but don't overwork it. You want it smooth, not grainy.
6. With a clean dish towel, dry each berry and then swirl it in the chocolate and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. When all your berries have been dipped, put the sheet in the fridge to have the chocolate set. The berries will be ready in about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Serves 4 - 6
30 comments:
I prefer strawberries with a tiny bit of lemon juice and fresh mint chopped up. Very refreshing
That sounds like a good combination, too, Goofball!
Those look so good...I love chocolate dipped fruit.
I'll be in Pittsburgh for a week. That's not even close to long enough for me, but I'll take what I can get.
I agree that these are in a food group of their own. Sometimes I inject them with a little Grand Marnier as well:D Nothing beats strawberries and chocolate!!!!!!
It's a great project for kids, if they are old enough to keep licked fingers out of the chocolate. (are you old enough?)
PS -- also good with dried apricots. And if you haven't eaten the apricots and chocolate directly out of the bag, this recipe can be done without a trip to the store.
Wow! Those look great Jen! Yum!
Welcome to The Foodie Blogroll! :)
Sublime! (And you say DS eats these? hmmm...)
Favorite only of the moment? This is my favorite all the time!
Well, Lilac, I hope you really enjoy it! And these strawberries should be easy for CB to make for a welcome home dessert when you return ;-)
Bellini - one of my fave desserts is a strawberry-rhubarb-grand marnier cobbler. I agree - it's a wonderful combination!
And so easy, Ben!
You know Mae, I'm just barely old enough, lol. But if I do have leftover chocolate, I invite ds to lick the spoon. ;-)
Also, Mae, this is good with chunks of crystalized ginger. But I really like the freshness of the strawberries.
Thanks, Jenn! I look forward to participating.
Yes, Anno... it's one of the few ways to get fruit into the old boy. D and I eat a couple each and leave the rest for him. And he inhales them.
Well, April, I have to agree, but we're having them a LOT right now - we've had incredible sales on strawberries, which has helped a lot.
And these used to be my fave candy shop purchases, so I was delighted to find out that I could have a huge batch for the same price as the cost of less than one berry in the shops.
mmm Yummy! I could go for one now! I'd love to be just about anywhere else sometimes. :)
Enjoy NY I grew up in NJ. :)
And I think they were great places to grow up when we were younger CL! I loved growing up in NYC. I don't think I'd like it as much now, though, unless I lived way downtown, way uptown or in one of the other boroughs.
of all the things that taste more delicious when dipped in chocolate, strawberries are high on the list.
here's what i do when i want to get uber-fancy: buy the super-large, long stemmed berries. cut the top off, and scoop out some of the insides. fill with sweetened mascarpone cream. replace top. dip in chocolate.
drool.
Michelle, I do something similar sometimes - I cut the berries in half and mix together neufchatel cheese, honey and almond extract, dip each berry half in crisscrossing dark and white chocolate and then fill the berries with the cream cheese mixture. Again... yum!
Yum. You made my mouth water.
That looks wonderful! I think I'm getting fatter, just looking at the pictures. :)
Mmmmm love these!
We are that Family and Shan - thanks!
Chani - they're really not bad if you stick to 2 - 3 - about 75 cals and 4-5 grams of fat/serving. For a dessert, I figure I could do worse.
mmmmm...... you've hit my g-spot. lol
Now I'm craving chocolate covered strawberries!
CG and Alex - me, too! And it's too late to make them for today, darn it!
Yum. I live in close proximity to a town that hosts a Strawberry Festival every year and get a little spoiled due to the quality and quantity of berries available.
For as many strawberries that have passed through my kitchen (and across my lips) I've never done the chocolate covered thing. Hmmmmm...
Oh, Jane, you really must - it's elixir of the Gods in food form...
Lovely!
Coco - maybe you could use a pick-me-up while CS is away? Or surprise him on his return? ;-)
My mom just made these with my niece yesterday, and I have some strawberries in the fridge....
Oh, I just love that recipe! It's been a while since I last prepared it :)
Well, both Michelle and Wendy - it's the most romantic dessert ever, so GET Going! ;-)
Oh yum! This must be one of my favorite treats!
paola
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