Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

This post has at least three times more pictures than it does ingredients. But Chocolate Dipped Strawberries are just so beautiful - I couldn't help myself. They are also the perfect accompaniment to any romantic evening, and with Valentine's Day approaching I just had to make some.

Ingredients:

16 oz chocolate chips

2 Tb shortening

1 lb strawberries

toothpicks

floral foam block

Wash and completely dry the strawberries. You don't want any water getting into your melted chocolate so be sure they are dry. Make sure that you leave the stems on and place a toothpick into the center of the stem of each strawberry - you'll see why later.

Place the chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl. You can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate - I've done it both ways, and I think I prefer the milk chocolate. However, these were semi-sweet and they were delicious as well.

Add the shortening and microwave on high for 1 minute.

Remove from microwave, stir and then continue to microwave for 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted.

You can do this on a double boiler, but the microwave was a lot faster.

This is where that toothpick comes in handy. Lift the leaves - holding the leaves and the toothpick above the strawberry - and dip the strawberry into the chocolate.

You want the red strawberry covered about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up with chocolate.

You can twist the strawberry to get off any excess chocolate.

Now, place the other end of the toothpick into a foam block - the kind you use for flower arrangements. This is a great way for your strawberries to dry without becoming flat on one side.

Dip another strawberry and place it on the foam block as well. Don't let them touch! You don't want smudges in your chocolate.

Keep dipping and placing until your foam block is completely filled up. Be sure to start in the middle and work your way out. This will keep them balanced allow you to place new strawberries without disturbing the others.

Allow the strawberries to stay here until they are completely dry.

psst...See those toothpicks!

Once they are dry, you can pull them off and place them on a dish.

Aren't they beautiful? I had to get a lot of pictures because I knew that they wouldn't last long.

If you want to be really fancy, you can take some white chocolate and drizzle it over them.

But I'm rather traditional and enjoy the simple elegance of the red and brown.

So beautiful - so delicious.

Happy Valentine's Day!