DIPPING CHOCOLATE
I thought this might be a nice idea, the long weekend is ahead and you never know you might be able to sit in the garden and dunk strawberries.
Dipped Chocolate Anything
Strawberries
Prep Time 20 minutes Total Time 50 minutes servings 18
Ingredients
1 pint (2 cups) medium-large strawberries (18 to 20 strawberries)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or white vanilla baking chips
1 teaspoon shortening or vegetable oil
Directions
Gently rinse strawberries and dry on paper towels (berries must be completely dry). Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.
In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
Dip lower half of each strawberry into chocolate mixture; allow excess to drip back into saucepan. Place on waxed paper-lined tray or cookie sheet.
Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm, or until ready to serve. Store covered in refrigerator so chocolate does not soften (if made with oil, chocolate will soften more quickly at room temperature).
Chocolate dipped Pretzels, tortilla chips, Crackers
Total Time: 40 min Prep: 20 min Cook: 20 min Level: Easy Yield: Enough for 20 to 30 dips
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds good-quality bitter sweet chocolate, chopped into bean-size pieces (by hand or in a food processor)
Pretzels, crackers, tortilla chips, dried fruit or anything, for dipping
DIRECTIONS
Melt 1 1/2 pounds chocolate in top of a double boiler (or clean metal bowl set over simmering water). Remove chocolate from heat when it reaches between 110 and 115 degrees F on a candy thermometer. To bring into tempering range, add remaining chocolate to the mixture and stir constantly with a rubber spatula until the thermometer registers 82 to 84 degrees. Put chocolate back over the hot water and bring temperature to between 88 and 91 degrees. Be careful not to let the temperature fall too far or you will have to gently re-warm the mixture; if the temperature rises above 91 degrees in the tempering step, you will have to start the process over. Once tempered, use immediately for dipping. Store tempered chocolate at room temperature.
Recipe courtesy of Mark Bittman
Have fun Celia