Tuxedo Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Enjoy this Valentine’s Day with your lover and some quintessential romantic treats – chocolate covered strawberries. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite as adorable as these “Tuxedo Berries”, designed by Driscoll’s Berries for their remarkable long stem strawberries. Covered in two layers of rich chocolate and lots of imagination, they may not be easy or quick to prepare, but you can be assured your Valentine will appreciate the effort…in addition to the aphrodisiac effect of the chocolate.

Driscoll’s Tuxedo Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Hands on Time: 1 ¼ hours
Makes: 30-40 Strawberries

Ingredients

2 Quarts of firm Driscoll’s Premium Long Stem Strawberries
2 12 ounce bags of milk chocolate chips
2 6 ounce boxes white chocolate

Gently rinse Driscoll’s Premium Long Stem Strawberries and pat dry. In separate pans melt white chocolate and milk chocolate over a double broiler. Melt to between 90^o and 95^o F.

Holding the berry by the stem, submerge 2/3 of the berry into melted white chocolate. Set aside on waxed paper, and cool for about 15 minutes or until chocolate hardens to form a shell. After completely hardened, dip berries at an angle from both sides in milk chocolate to form the jacket. Again, set aside on waxed paper to cool. Be sure to keep the saucepans of chocolate warm.

Using a decorator’s bag, pipe on white chocolate to form a bow tie at the “neck” of the berry. Using tweezers, carefully dip silver dragées* into white chocolate and place, QUICKLY, down center of the berry to form buttons.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Dragees – Tiny, round, hard candies used for decorating baked goods. These can be ordered online from www.fancyflours.com

Image: Driscoll’s Berries