Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Servings: 20
Ready Time: 50 minutes (includes chilling time)
Ingredients
20 Strawberries (with the leaves/stems still intact; washed and dried very well)
10 oz 70% good quality dark chocolate roughly chopped
2 oz 70% good quality dark chocolate finely chopped
Method
To temper the chocolate for dipping, fill a medium saucepan with 3 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place 10 oz of roughly chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set it over the simmering water to melt. Stir with a heatproof spatula until the chocolate has almost completely melted.
Remove the bowl from the heat, and with a digital thermometer, check the temperature. The desired temperature should read between 40°C and 45°C. The chocolate may be returned to the heat for a few seconds if it is not warm enough.
Stir the chocolate regularly to achieve the best results.
Slowly add in 2 oz of very finely chopped 70% chocolate, stirring continuously until the temperature has decreased to 37°C. You may not need to add the full 2 oz.
Once this temperature has been reached, do not add any more chocolate, but continue stirring the melted chocolate until it has cooled to 31°C.
To dip the strawberries, hold them by leaves/stem, and dip each one into the chocolate about ¾ of the way up, then lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl.
Sit strawberries on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and set aside for approximately 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to firm up.
Check the temperature of the chocolate often and if it dips below 29°C, place the chocolate back over the heat for just a few seconds to bring up the temperature. It should not go over 31°F
You can dress up these strawberries by rolling them in grated white chocolate, candy sprinkles or toasted nuts immediately after dipping them or you can drizzle or re-dip them partially in melted white chocolate once the dark chocolate has set.