Chocolate Dipped Strawberries...what Is The Best Coating?
Decorating By springlakecake Updated 15 Feb 2007 , 12:42pm by springlakecake
My son is having an "elegant" valentines day party tomorrow at school...he's 5! LOL! Anyway it should be cute they are all supposed to dress up and sip apple juice from plastic champange glasses, little sandwiches with the crusts cut off, use their manners etc. Anyway I signed up to bring fresh fruit for the party. Then it dawned on me to make chocolate dipped strawberries. Anyway what is best for dipping, I have a couple of recipes, but didnt know what the preferred method would be...
Chocolate chips
Chocolate chips with added crisco
Candy melts
Ganache?
Thanks!
I personally prefer ganache. No need for tempering and it tastes great. Since these can be a bit messy, I would use smaller berries (if you can get them). The kids might have trouble with giant berries, trying to eat it all at once, or making a bigger mess trying to nibble.
My vote would be Sarah Bernhardt Chocolate Glaze. It is creamier than chocolate and softer to bite into, it won't shatter.
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2315-Sarah-Bernhardt-Chocolate-Glaze.html
Here is a cake I did last week with the cake iced in SB glaze and the berries dipped in it as well. The glaze stays shiny and tastes so good.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=ShirleyW&cat=0&pos=1
I use the candy melts myself, super easy. Also if you dip in milk chocolate then drizzle white chocolate on them. Adds a little something
Thanks guys! Hmmm now I need to pick! I was kind of thinking of going the candy melt route since this is for 5 year olds. If it were for me, I probably would pick a more quality chocolate. Of course ghiradelli chocolate here is only 1.99 a bag, dont know why it is CHEAPER than nestle, but I will take it. Thanks for pics and links.
I was kind of thinking I would like it to set up firm so the kids wouldnt be so chocolatey. If I just use chocolate chips, will it not set firm since it isnt tempered? I used chips once to make some scroll things for a cake (before I knew much about decorating) they set up, but once I touched them they immediately would start melting.
ooh those do look hot! nice and shiny, yummy looking. ok i'm drooling.
where do you find that brand chocolate?
I use Guittards Chocolate Chips. I really prefer them over Nestles or Ghirardelli's. Both Ghirardelli and Guittard are in San Francisco so I don't feel too disloyal recommending one over the other. I have just found Ghirardelli to be grainy in mouth feel. I buy Guittard at my local stores, Safeway, Albertson's or even Longs Drug Store. Average is about $2.99 per 12 oz. bag but I find them on sale often for $1.99. I stock up and freeze them.
Okay, just wanted to say thanks for the help everyone. I ended up using candy melts and it worked great! I am kind of a chocolate snob, but I thought they were actually pretty good. It was so easy and they set up perfectly. Here is the photo if you are interested!
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=merissa&cat=0&pos=0
You've already done your berries but I'd like to suggest Ghiradelli chocolate chips. This is what I use personally and this brand of chocolate is wonderful...got high marks in some magazine(forgot which one but it was NOT a food mag). 
I do love ghiradelli, I just wasnt sure how they would set up since I dont know how to temper?
well i work for a caterer part time as well and all we do is melt the choc chips..dip those berries and let the choc set up on wax paper....has worked well at all of the weddings that i've served at except the one that the temp outside was about 85 and yucky humidity! gosh i love those things...YUM!!!!
I wanted to make chocolate covered strawberries last weekend and was looking around at different recipes, and the one that got the best reviews was just using a one lb. bag of milk choc. chips, any kind, and adding 2 tbsp. of crisco to it. You just melt it over a double boiler for a few minutes and it turned out great! I ended up dipping pretzels as well. I used 2 ghiradelli bars and a symphony bar and they tasted heavenly! Just thought I would share
Merissa-Your berries look amazing! Though, I wasn't surprised! Everything you touch looks amazing
Merissa-Your berries look amazing! Though, I wasn't surprised! Everything you touch looks amazing
oh thanks but you didnt see my cake from last night. I am in the middle of course 3 and we made that present cake. Thought I would totally have no problems since I have been doing fondant for awhile now, but it was a disaster! I brought in mmf and it was a little too dry and it ripped and looked like elephant skin!
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