My 50th post Chocolate covered strawberries!

Yay! I reached my first 50. It has been interesting and fun so far and it has me pumped for posting my next 50 recipes faster. To celebrate I have chocolate covered strawberries. I made this during my extended valentines day cooking spree and they are an absolute delight to eat. Few tips for the chocolate, use dark chocolate bar or callets and not chocolate chips used in baking. These chips have a wax coating to protect their shape and do not taste as good. If using a bar chop it finely to melt it easily. Use larger quantity of chocolate as it will be easier to temper and the leftover chocolate can be remelted for use in future. Do not store chocolate in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

Dark chocolate bar or callets, 70% cocoa (I used Callebaut)

White chocolate callets

Strawberries

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Heat for 30 seconds and remove from oven and stir. Repeat till all the chocolate is melted and the temperature of the chocolate reaches 115 degrees F. Then add some tempered chocolate and lower temperature to 82 degrees F. This is called tempering the chocolate which will give it a shine when coated. Dip the strawberry in the tempered chocolate, swirl it and remove. Let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place it on a flat surface which is covered with parchment paper. Dry in the refrigerator till the chocolate hardens. In a Ziploc bag, melt about 1 tablespoon of white chocolate in the microwave. Snip one end and make zig zag lines on the cold fruit. Place in refrigerator for a few more minutes till the lines harden. Enjoy as dessert or an indulgent snack!