Enter recipe 1 from the Valentine's Day extravaganza!! Okay, it wasn't an extravaganza, but it was extra delicious and sweet and so much better than going out or doing anything else. My boyfriend made me dinner (we'll get to that in another post, but basically, mind=blown) and I made desserts. Item 1 was chocolate covered strawberries. Everyone was selling them (I didn't realize that was the v-day option, other than flowers and chocolates), so I thought, why don't I make some myself? Not only was it less expensive (not that that's why), but I love new cooking projects and this was super easy. Do you have dark chocolate and strawberries? Oh okay, you're pretty much there.
Okay, there isn't really a recipe. Basically, use semisweet chocolate (I used Baker's baking chocolate) and white chocolate (I thought I had some and didn't want to mess with the hordes at the grocery store, so we did without, but I would have liked some). I made about 10-12 strawberries with 4 or 5 oz of chocolate (I started with 3 oz added more later and now I can't remember how much).
Use a double boiler (say whaaat???) to heat the chocolate. In case you don't have one (like me), it's so easy to replicate that it's almost silly. Get a saucepan and put some water in it. Put a bowl in the saucepan that can get hot (like glass) that will sit above the water (so not sitting in it but resting on the sides). [See pictures below.] Turn the heat on the stove to high to get the water boiling. This creates a nice, warm, but not aggressive environment to heat up things like chocolate in.
Then you just dip your strawberries into the melted chocolate. After they are dipped, point them up to the ceiling a bit to get the chocolate to set before placing them on parchment paper. While they are still wet, you can sprinkle shredded coconut or grate nutmeg or pistachios (I did this because my boyfriend loves loves loves pistachios - you can't really taste it but the green looks pretty) or whatever floats your boat.
If you, unlike me, remember white chocolate, melt it in the same way as the dark, using a double boiler. Then you can do all sorts of fun stuff like drizzling the white chocolate over the dark or dipping strawberries half in one and half in the other (you should wait for one to dry first, but you knew that) or making cute designs or writing stuff (like I wanted to). Then put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to harden and voila!
What matters most is that they are delicious, pretty, and for some reason, very romantic and exciting (I'm not arguing but it doesn't make much since - they are so simple!). I decorated my valentine's table like this so that when my boyfriend got home from working out, I had a little romantic set-up for us. Luckily, he liked it and didn't think it was too cheesy (or was sweet enough not to say so). The pink roses are from him. <3
Don't forget to read about dinner! It was incredible!
[note: does anyone play that Zynga Scramble game? If so, you will know what I mean about that voice and how it says amazing! incredible! etc and that's now how my brain says it.]
Okay, there isn't really a recipe. Basically, use semisweet chocolate (I used Baker's baking chocolate) and white chocolate (I thought I had some and didn't want to mess with the hordes at the grocery store, so we did without, but I would have liked some). I made about 10-12 strawberries with 4 or 5 oz of chocolate (I started with 3 oz added more later and now I can't remember how much).
Use a double boiler (say whaaat???) to heat the chocolate. In case you don't have one (like me), it's so easy to replicate that it's almost silly. Get a saucepan and put some water in it. Put a bowl in the saucepan that can get hot (like glass) that will sit above the water (so not sitting in it but resting on the sides). [See pictures below.] Turn the heat on the stove to high to get the water boiling. This creates a nice, warm, but not aggressive environment to heat up things like chocolate in.
Then you just dip your strawberries into the melted chocolate. After they are dipped, point them up to the ceiling a bit to get the chocolate to set before placing them on parchment paper. While they are still wet, you can sprinkle shredded coconut or grate nutmeg or pistachios (I did this because my boyfriend loves loves loves pistachios - you can't really taste it but the green looks pretty) or whatever floats your boat.
If you, unlike me, remember white chocolate, melt it in the same way as the dark, using a double boiler. Then you can do all sorts of fun stuff like drizzling the white chocolate over the dark or dipping strawberries half in one and half in the other (you should wait for one to dry first, but you knew that) or making cute designs or writing stuff (like I wanted to). Then put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to harden and voila!
Don't forget to read about dinner! It was incredible!
[note: does anyone play that Zynga Scramble game? If so, you will know what I mean about that voice and how it says amazing! incredible! etc and that's now how my brain says it.]
Those look so cute!! And your table setting looks very romantic :)
ReplyDeleteAw thanks :) I had to try to make it a little special since my little one-room studio isn't exactly a new, exciting, or terribly romantic environment. But that little corner was nice for a night!
ReplyDelete