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02.01.2007

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choco-love
easy chocolate treats for your valentine sweets

by Yee-Fan Sun |
1 2 3

The path to your honey’s heart might be an individual, indefinable thing, but I’m willing to bet: in more cases than not, a generous offering of deep, dark chocolate will at least get you past the front door of their affections. Me, I’ll readily admit that I’m a total sucker for the rich flavors of that luscious little cocoa bean. Still, there’s something a tad ho-hum about bestowing your beloved with the requisite box o’ chocolates come Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking to put a little bit more of yourself into your chocolate offering, try one of these recipes instead…

chocolate dipped strawberries
Simple. Elegant. Classic. Best served with a bottle of bubbly, of course.

4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
8 oz. or so of fresh ripe strawberries, or about a dozen medium strawberries

yields about a dozen

1 Wash the strawberries, then pat completely dry with a paper towel.

2 Now melt the chocolate chips by one of the following two methods:

  • Method A | Microwave: Nuke for 1-2 minutes, until the chips are shiny and soft looking. Remove and stir; if there are still some chunks, microwave for another 30 seconds as necessary.
  • Method B | Double boiler: You’ll need a smallish saucepot and either A) a metal mixing bowl that can sit in the saucepot without falling in, but still have its bottom dipping into the pot or B) a slightly smaller saucepot. Fill the first saucepot with about 1” of water, and bring it to a gentle bubble; lower the heat until the water’s just steaming. Meanwhile, slide the chocolate chips into the mixing bowl or pot. When the water is steaming, pop the bowl of chocolate on top of the water pot; do not let the bottom of the chocolate bowl touch the water (the idea is to cook over indirect heat). If you’re using the two-pot method and there’s a gap between the two, wedge a clean towel along the rim of the water pot to make a snug fit; steam can make chocolate seize. Stir the chips well, until you have a smooth, liquidy chocolate.

3 Now hold each strawberry by the stem end and swirl the fruit in the melted chocolate, covering about 3/4 of it. To neaten the coating, tip the strawberry upside down after you’ve swirled it, so that the chocolate at the tip gets sort of scooped up. Set the dipped strawberry on a wax paper-lined baking sheet; when you’ve dipped all the strawberries, slide the baking sheet into your fridge and chill for at least an hour or so, until the chocolate has set.

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