I made these last night for the 1st time and I think they suck in looks albeit they taste great! I just dipped them right into the KitchenAid bowl and drizzled the excess off then placed them on wax paper.
Is there a method I should follow to get a much neater finish? Also do I put them in the fridge to set?
Thank you in advance.
ok here's what I do...always rinse strawberries first. Pat dry with a paper towel. Let them sit for about 30 minutes to dry out completely. (Any moisture will sieze the chocolate.) Use a heating pad to melt the chocolate. This will keep the chocolate at the perfect temperature and no need to worry about burning or seizing. I always dip the strawberry once, let set, then dip again, and set again. This ensures a nice, smooth coating.
Forgot to add...use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Trust me...you will notice the difference!
I'm no expert, but I can give you so tips of what I have learned. I dip one side of the strawberry and then the other. Then as you bring up the strawberry give it a swirl and it helps. Also, have the strawberries room temperature so they don't make the chocolate clump. Also, I discovered a tool that keeps the chocolate just right. You know those candle warmers you plug in. If you put a glass bowl on one of those it will melt the chocolate and keep it just right. Good luck.
Well, I used chocolate cover strawberries on my ganache cake in my pics and first I bought the new bowl of chocolate that the sell on the cake isle at the grocery store that you microwave. Then when I dipped the strawberries I just held them above the chocolate for a second to let the excess drip, then clip the edge of the bowl to cut off the dripping, THen I lay it down on wax paper. Also I know the chocolate has to be melted BUT as you dip, the chocolate will thicken a little bit so I think that helps too when you lay it down. It tends not to run everywhere as much.
We love to dip everything in chocolate. I buy a chocolate called "cookie dip" it comes in a contanier and you can melt and remelt as many times as you need to. We dip strawberries, bannanas, cookies, spoons (I make my own hot cocoa mix and sell them with chocolate dipped spoons), pretzels.... you name it we dip it.
On the berries I did last week, I dipped them in Sarah Bernhardt chocolate glaze after it had cooled and thickened a bit. I liked it better than plain chocolate because it is creamy and doesn't shatter when you bite into them. They retain their shine as well. I just held the berry by the stem and dipped it, but you could use a candy dipping fork and after piercing the berry with the tines, dip into chocolate, let the excess drip off and then tap the fork against the side of the bowl to remove a bit more. It will help eliminate that "foot" or margin of chocolate around the base of the berry.
I do white chocolate dipped strawberries quite often for parties and such, it's always a hit. Here's what I do:
Wash the strawberries and pat them try with papertowels, as another poster already mentioned. Do let them sit out awhile. Moisture wont just sieze up your chocolate, it seems to make the strawberries get mushy faster.
I melt chocolate in the microwave, just in increments of like 30 seconds and stirring. Remember that you don't have to nuke it till its liquid, when it starts to melt just stirring it will continue the melting process. Relying somewhat on stirring to distribute the heat instead of just nuking it till its liquid both avoids burning the chocolate and seems to keep it from getting too thin.
I use a wide piece of styrofoam, tape some saran wrap to it just so I can reuse the styrofoam.
Pop a toothpick into the top of the berry where the green is, and dip it into the chocolate by the toothpick, tilting the bowl or the berry as needed to get a little coverage, giving it just a little twirl to get it on all sides. Lifting the berry up, let the excess drip for just a moment and then push the other toothpick end into the styrofoam by holding the center of the toothpick.
Then you just let them all sit and harden. Usually I'll stick the entire thing, styrofoam and all, into the fridge for a few minutes to harden it fast. I figure cold chocolate isn't sticky at all. Then you just pop em right off the toothpicks and onto your serving platter. This always gives me great looking strawberries.
I only use Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate morsels. It melts BEAUTIFULLY, tastes phenominal, and looks great. I love this chocolate. I have a groom's cake in my pics with the strawberries on top, as well as a pic of the strawberries themselves. Hope that helps.
Oh my gosh Botanesis!!! Your strawberries are beautiful!!! I wouldn't even want to eat them. I live in Canada and don't think I'll be able to find Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate morsels. But if I do I will attempt to try and make something you did. So what are the different variations that you have in your picture?
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