Every now and again I like to make delicious treats for no reason. (I mean, really, do I need a reason?) But the fact that this weekend is Easter, I thought that opting out of the traditional bunny candy and making something a bit different (but equally as delicious) would be fun.
Making chocolate covered strawberries is really easy, but there are a couple of key things to do first that will ensure a successful chocolate to strawberry adhesion. The strawberries should not be moist at all, and they need to be room temperature. What I did, was rinse the strawberries when I got home from the grocery store, and laid them in a towel for a few hours. Then I transferred them to a plate and set them inside the oven (with the oven off) so that they wouldn’t be out in the open. I would recommend doing this the day before you plan on making strawberries so they can sit overnight, but its not necessary. The key point is that they are room temperature.
Here are the ingredients I used: Baker’s dark dipping chocolate, powdered sugar, strawberries with the stem still on, wax paper, and a cookie sheet.
For the Baker’s dipping chocolate, I just followed the instructions on the container to melt the chocolate pieces in the microwave. I dipped each strawberry about 3/4 of the way, making sure to leave a small portion of the strawberry uncovered. Then I carefully set the strawberry on the wax paper cookie sheet.
I wanted to add a little extra somthin to the strawberries. I made a quick icing mix using about a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. I mixed it in a small bowl, placed it in a ziplock bag, and cut a tiny corner in the bag to create a icing bag. Then I carefully and slowly glided the icing horizontally over the chocolate covered strawberries. In hindsight, I should have let the strawberries sit for an hour in the refrigerator first because the icing kind of melted into the chocolate. Oh well, there’s always next time.
You can also do this with other food! I had some pretzel nuggets in my pantry, so when the strawberries ran out, I dipped the pretzel nuggets in chocolate and they were delicious!
I think making your own Easter “candy” and treats is way more fun and much more personal than going out to the store and buying it. I personally would love to receive homemade Easter candy over a store bought candy because of the heart and thought that went into it. Besides, to me, Easter really isn’t so much about the candy but its a day to spend with family and be thankful for God’s gift of life. Candy is a great bonus though!
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend!!
xo,
Maggie
