Chocolate covered strawberries: Test kitchen bonus

The mere mention of chocolate makes some people blush with excitement. And it’s no wonder. Good quality chocolate melts on the tongue like edible velvet, leaving you begging for more.  Chocolate lovers don’t need an excuse to eat chocolate in any form, but Valentine’s Day gives us a free day of indulgence with no guilt. Chocolate-dipped strawberries are an easy-to-make Valentine’s Day treat. You can even dress them up in “edible” tuxedos. Here’s how




The tools:

Parchment or wax paperBowl or pan for melting chocolate
Washed and dried strawberries with stems intact Melting milk or dark chocolate from a craft store, gourmet shop or supermarket

Step 1: Melt chocolate according to package instructions. (Place in microwave-safe bowls and microwave on medium power for 1 minute. Stir and microwave in increments of 20 seconds and stir to check that chocolate is melted. Or, melt in top of a double boiler. Chocolate should be melted, not hot.)
Step 2: Holding berry by the stem end, dip and twist to coat with chocolate. Place on parchment paper to dry.

A formally-attired strawberry.

How to dress the berries in “tuxedos” Additional tools
Pastry bag with a No. 3 or 4 writing tip
Melting white “chocolate”
Step 1: Melt dark and white  chocolates separately.
Step 2: Dip front of berries in white chocolate. Place on baking sheet to dry with chocolate facing up.
Step 3: When white chocolate has hardened, hold stems and leaves in your fingers and dip each side (at an angle) in dark chocolate. A deep “V” will form on front of berry. Place on baking sheet to dry.
Step 4: Place about 1/2 cup of melted dark chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with a writing tip. Pipe a long, horizontal “X” at top of white “V.” Fill in with chocolate to make bow tie. With light pressure, pipe dots for buttons down the white “V.” You can also do this step with a wooden pick and a careful hand.
Test kitchen note: Chocolate-dipped strawberries do not hold up for long in the refrigerator. When removed, condensation forms on the berry, and the water can affect the chocolate. However, when dipping berries for fancy effects such as tuxedos, placing them in the refrigerator for 30 seconds between the application of layers will help speed drying.
(Tuxedo strawberry photos MARK RIGHTMIRE/ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, other photos Orlando Sentinel staff

I couldn’t help but notice that two of the hottest Google searches today are chocolate-covered strawberries and Nevis, an island in the Caribbean Sea. Both, it’s important to note, are threatened by global warming and climate change.

Source: Planetsave (http://s.tt/15GAY)