Valentine's Day is coming up, and my sweet tooth couldn't be more excited. It's the best time to cover everything in chocolate. Of course, one might argue that any day is the best day to do that. But when it comes to Valentine's Day, things like chocolate-covered strawberry recipes become the norm. And I back this 100 percent.
I adore this wonderful concoction for several reasons. First, the natural sweetness of strawberries beats the kind you find in most commercial candies. It's refreshing and delicious. It also helps that strawberries are an awesome source of vitamin C, something we could all use to help boost our immunity during the cold winter months. It’s a win-win.
Secondly, you can use any kind of chocolate that your heart desires. That's the beauty of homemade treats; you can do whatever you want. Personally, I like using dark chocolate. It adds major flavor without that crazy cavity-inducing sweetness.
This Valentine's Day, try your hand at homemade chocolate-covered strawberry hearts. This is a simple way to take the traditional dessert for a fun spin. They’re surprisingly easy to make, too. Simply wrap them up, and gift them to someone special… even if it’s yourself. I won’t judge.
Ingredients & Materials:
- Metal baking sheet- Parchment paper- Strawberries- Chocolate chips*- Canola, coconut, or olive oil- Pot and water- Spoon- Cutting knife- Glass or stainless steel bowl or jar- Toothpicks * For this batch, 2/3 cup of chocolate chips was just enough for eight medium-sized strawberries. You might need more or less depending on the size of your strawberries. It'll also depend on how many you want to cover in chocolatey goodness.
Directions:
1. Take a strawberry and remove the top.
2. Cut straight down the middle.
3. Place both halves next to each other, tilting each one slightly outwards. This will help create the heart shape. Insert a toothpick straight through the center.
4. Repeat steps one through three with the remaining strawberries.
Tip: If possible, leave the end of the toothpicks sticking out. This will make it much easier to remove them later on. Plus, you don't want them hiding in there when someone bites into them! So. Not. Romantic.
5. Fill the small bowl or jar with chocolate chips and some oil. You'll bring in more oil later. Place the bowl in a pot of boiling water over medium heat.
6. Using the spoon, regularly stir the chocolate chips. Add a little more oil as they begin to melt. Remember, you don't need too much! The role of the oil is to create a smooth consistency.
7. Continue heating and stirring until the chocolate has melted completely. There should not be any chunks or chips left.
8. Turn off the heat and let the bowl cool for a minute or two. Using an oven mitt, carefully remove the bowl from the water.
9. Use the spoon to cover each strawberry heart with melted chocolate. A little goes a long way; you don't need huge spoonfuls. A thin layer will do the trick. It will also be much easier to spread and cover each heart.
10. Repeat with the remaining strawberry hearts. If some of them look wonky, don't worry. You can trim those down later.
Place the sheet in the fridge, and leave to harden completely. This should take anywhere from one to three hours. Want to speed up the process? Stick them in the freezer. Just be sure to keep a close watch to make sure they don't ice over.
11. Once the chocolate hardens, remove the toothpicks. You can also use a small knife to carefully trim away excess chocolate. Clearly, a strawberry-printed knife was appropriate for this job.
Pretty easy, huh? This charming treat tugs at my heart strings and sweet tooth. If you want to spice things up, try adding sprinkles or edible glitter before the chocolate hardens. You can even add stripes of melted chocolate in a different color.
Happy Valentine's Day!
For more DIY inspiration, check out Bustle on YouTube.
Images: Kirsten Nunez
