Best Recipes for Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate dipped strawberries are a decadent treat and a romantic gift. Beautiful to look at, delicious to eat, and it doesn't take much convincing to persuade a person that chocolate dipped fruit is good for them too. Readily available in the week leading up to Valentine's Day, chocolate-dipped strawberries can be expensive, and are best eaten the same day that they are made. If you have the time, making chocolate covered strawberries is simple, relatively inexpensive and can be custom-decorated for your sweetheart.

Here is a collection of the best recipes for strawberries dipped in chocolate that will be sure to impress your love.

1 package of Baker's Milk Chocolate Dipping Chocolate

Approximately 36 firm, ripe strawberries

Break chocolate into pieces and microwave on medium for 3 minutes, stir, then heat again until melted. Either by hand or with your strawberry skewered on a toothpick, dip berry in chocolate. Place on wax-paper covered cookie sheet, place in refridgerator and let cool for 30 minutes.

2 cups Chipits White Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Chipits Dark Chocolate Chips

1 tbsp and 1 tsp shortening

2 pints full strawberries, washed and with leaves on.

In your microwave, heat up 2 cups white chocolate chips and 1 tbsp shortening. Microwave on medium (or 50%), stirring after 2 minutes and then checking every one minute until chips are melted. Dip each strawberry in the white chocolate mixture, leaving the leafy top uncovered. Place on a wax or parchment lined cookie sheet to cool. Heat dark chocolate chips and 1 tsp shortening in the microwave until melted. Use a spoon to drizzle the dark chocolate over the white chocolate covered berries. Cool in the fridge, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

1 package of dark chocolate chips

1 package of white chocolate chips

1/2 cup of half and half cream

1 tsp of brandy, Bailey's Irish Cream, or Amaretto

2 pints of washed and dried strawberries

Melt dark chococolate in microwave.  Add half-and-half cream and liqueur, stirring until mixed. Dip strawberries as per instructions in previous recipe.  Once they have cooled, drizzle white chocolate over them.

• When purchasing strawberries, look for fruit that is red, firm, and still has the leaves. Try to buy berries that are loose; if you must buy fruit in a pint basket be sure to check the bottom fruit to ensure they aren't mushy or moldy.
• store strawberries unwashed in your fridge until you are ready to make the chocolate strawberries.
• Wash the strawberries thoroughly. Once washed, they will begin to decay and mold, so dip them as soon as they are washed.
• Once your strawberries are ready, serve them as soon as possible - chocolate covered strawberries are best eaten within 24 hours of being prepared.
• Dry strawberries THOROUGHLY prior to covering them in chocolate. The chocolate will not adhere as well to a moist/wet strawberry.
• To avoid having a flat-sided strawberry, stick a toothpick in the top of the strawberry to dip it. Then stick the toothpick with the strawberry on the end of it into a block of styrofoam to harden.

• high in vitamin C
• high in anti-oxidants
• high in potassium
• high in magnesium
• high in folic acid, vitamin B5 and B6
• have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties
• strawberry leaves were used by First Nations (Native Americans) to prepare a tea to aid in stomach upsets.

Once you have dipped your strawberries in either white or dark chocolate, try rolling them in one of the following:

• crushed pecans or almonds
• coconut
• cocoa powder
• icing sugar
• cinammon/sugar mix

Personalize your chocolate covered strawberries by using a toothpick and either white chocolate or thin icing to write your sweetheart's name on a strawberry....or a special message. For cheesecake lovers, try dipping the cooled chocolate strawberry in cream cheese mixed with a little honey...mmmmmm good!