Chocolate Covered Strawberries: Chocolate Covered Anything Day

Yes, Virginia, just about anything can be Covered in Chocolate. Although December 16 is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, I think this holiday can easily be celebrated all year round.  One of my favorites is Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Simple to make, and they always look fabulous. You can stuff them or drizzle them, but fresh strawberries dunked in good quality chocolate is the key. 

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES TO DIE FOR!

INGREDIENTS:
1 quart fresh large fresh strawberries, with tops
1 cup Dark Chocolate 60-65% cacao, broken or chopped
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate 72-85% cacao, broken or chopped
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
White chocolate, melted for Drizzle

DIRECTIONS:
Rinse strawberries and dry thoroughly, keeping tops on. In top of double boiler or a stainless steel bowl atop a pot of simmering water, combine chocolate and heavy cream. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Dip strawberries 1/2-3/4 way up in chocolate mixture and place on waxpaper or parchment lined cookie sheet to allow chocolate to harden.
When hardened, drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Hints:
Wash strawberries and pat dry with paper towels; set aside. Make sure the strawberries are completely dry. A drop of water in melted chocolate can cause it to "seize" and turn the entire mixture into a mess. How to smooth out the chocolate: I just saw a chef add a tiny bit of honey and stirred. It worked!

How to dip:
Grasp stem of strawberry and dip into chocolate, swirling to partially cover with chocolate. Give the strawberry a small shake as you pull it out of the chocolate. When strawberry is completely out of chocolate, swirl it in quick, clockwise motion to let excess chocolate drip off. Place on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment. Repeat withrest of the strawberries.

Want to get a bit fancier? Here are links to Chocolate Covered Stuffed Strawberries.

Chocolate Covered  Stuffed Strawberries: Cookie Dough, Cheesecake, Marscapone

Strawberrries Stuffed with Chocolate Cream