CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES

When I tell you how easy this is..... my dear friend Edna (my Meals on Wheels partner) told me about this.  I've had more fun with this than you can imagine!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb pkg            dark Chocolate Candiquik
                       (Walmart)
                     
1 - 4 oz pkg       Bakers UNSWEETENED
                         chocolate

12-15 large, ripe strawberries

Other things to dip........

·         fresh pineapple (patted dry)

·         pretzels (loopy ones for individual bites)

·         marshmallows (cover halfway)

·         apple slices (patted dry – but they WILL darken) – dip halfway

·         orange, tangerine sections (patted dry) – dip halfway

·         combine some of the chocolate with some salted peanuts and drop in clusters on waxed paper

·         vanilla wafers (dip halfway)

·         Rice Krispie treats

·         Graham crackers

·         caramels

·         angel food cake squares

·         animal crackers

·         donut holes

·         peanut brittle

After dipping things, like fruit slices, try rolling in/sprinkling with finely chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS:

Unless you plan to dip a small child in this chocolate, I recommend you divide the Candiquik into FOUR equal parts, and divide the Bakers into FOUR equal parts.  Place 1/4 of the Candiquik and 1/4 of the Baker's in each of three Ziploc bags and refrigerate until you're ready to use.

Wash the strawberries - LEAVE THE STEMS ON!  Dry thoroughly with paper towels.  Berries have to be completely dry for the chocolate to stick.

Combine the remaining 1/4 of the Candiquik and Baker's in the top of a double boiler.  (I use a small metal bowl and float it in a small saucepan).  Melt the chocolates and stir thoroughly to combine.

Spread a sheet of waxed paper on the counter and LIGHTLY grease it with soft butter.

Dip away!  Hold the berries by the leaves and roll the bottom 2/3s of the berries in the chocolate.  Hold a minute to allow the excess chocolate to drain.  Line 'em up on the waxed paper, leaving lots of space between them and allow the chocolate to harden before serving.  They are positively yummy just as they are!

Or.............  Get fancy!  When excess chocolate has dripped off the strawberries----

• roll them in mini-chocolate chips - dark or white
• draw swirlies on them with that grocery store decorating gel that comes in a tube (or if you are really fancy, melt some WHITE chocolate chips in the microwave in a small Ziploc bag and then snip off a corner of the bag and decorate away)
• dust them with powdered sugar
• drizzle with melted caramel
• sprinkle with a colored sugar or assorted sprinkles
• roll GENTLY in crushed pecans

And that's just for the strawberries!  Try dipping marshmallows or pineapple chunks or banana chunks in the chocolate. (Bananas are a last minute treat, as they will turn dark rather quickly)

For a neat surprise at Christmas, trim off the leaves and hold the berry by the tip - and dip in WHITE chocolate (Candiquik and Baker's also comes in white) - dip the wide end about 1/4 of the way up the berry - IT LOOKS LIKE A SANTA HAT!

Finally - when you get down to 'not enough chocolate for a berry'... warm the chocolate again and throw in some salted peanuts or pecans, stir to coat, and splop out some chocolate coated nuts with a coffee spoon onto waxed paper.

THIS IS YOUR TREAT for all the fun you did with the berries!