HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberries image

Chocolate covered strawberries are delicious all year long but become very popular (and expensive) around a holiday. But with just three ingredients, they are easy to make at home. Imagine biting into a sweet chocolate shell and then tasting a tart, juicy strawberry anytime you get a craving. Follow this chocolate covered...

Provided by Kitchen Crew

Time 1h30m

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

1 pkg dark chocolate flavored candy melts or melting wafters, 10 oz. (such as Ghirardelli)
1 pkg white candy melts or melting wafers, 10 oz.
18-24 strawberries (they should be ripe, unbruised, good shape and size)
Shortening, as needed
Optional toppings (such as chopped nuts, mini-chocolate chips, or sprinkles)

Steps:

1. Pick the best strawberries and rinse with cool water. You might need more than one container to pick enough that are good for dipping.
2. Dry the strawberries by lifting the leaves and wrapping a paper towel around each one. Give a gentle squeeze. This removes any beads of water that would otherwise cause the candy coating to seize-up and be unusable.
3. Set strawberries on a paper towel to completely dry and come up to room temperature for 30 minutes. (Fresh strawberries will want to weep a little once they are dipped into the warm chocolate. They will weep less if they are at room temperature when dipped).
4. Lay parchment paper on the counter.
5. Pour candy melts into a small glass bowl.
6. Melt the candy melts in the microwave at 30 seconds intervals for a total of 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring between intervals. Once they look almost completely melted, they are done. Stir and stir until smooth. (If they seem too thick to dip easily, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of shortening and stir until it smooths out.)
7. With leaves lifted, dip half of the strawberries in the dark chocolate melted wafers.
8. Let it drip for a few seconds. (If the chocolate becomes too cool to continue dipping, just pop the bowl of chocolate in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds and stir. It will be ready for dipping again.)
9. Set the strawberries on the parchment paper to set. If you would like to sprinkle on toppings, do it now before the chocolate sets.
10. Take a gallon-size resealable bag and place in a glass folding the edges over the outside.
11. Take the white candy melts and place them in a bowl. Melt in the microwave for 30-second intervals until smooth. Once melted, pour it into the bag and make a small snip in the corner.
12. With a quick back and forth motion, drizzle the strawberries with the white chocolate. At this point, dip the remaining strawberries into the melted white wafers and drizzle them the remaining dark chocolate.
13. When they are set, put each strawberry in a cupcake liner. The cupcake liners will help to catch any drips from weeping.
14. Store the chocolate covered strawberries in a gift box or resealable container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.