PAII newsletter October 2015

Chocolate Covered Strawberries: Going beyond the basics
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, the most utilized add on package and
staple for romantic packages at a B&B. Here are a few tips and tricks
(and variations) for getting those strawberries lathered in chocolate
absolutely perfect.
A few variations on top of the plain dipped strawberry, best dipped
or rolled when the chocolate has been applied for about
10-15 seconds but not yet “set”:
• Fine chopped toasted nuts, pecans, almonds (peeled and unpeeled)
walnuts, pistachios, cashews and peanuts. Salted nuts actually taste
better then unsalted on a chocolate dipped strawberry.
• Fine chopped spiced nuts, smoked paprika spiced walnuts are incredible
for example.
• A sprinkling of course sea salt, there are also variations, pink sea salt,
smoked sea salt, etc.
• Course sugar mixed with cinnamon
• Demerara sugar
• Crushed Oreos
• Crushed Candy Canes
• Coconut Flakes
• Cocoa Powder (after chocolate is totally set)
• Edible Metallic dust (available online and in stores like Michaels)
• Edible Glitter
• Colored sanding sugar
• Sprinkles/Jimmies, mini sugar stars and sugar pearls, available in just
about every color
• Themed ones for the Holidays using Sprinkles/Jimmies, Orange for
Halloween, Red for Valentine's Day, Red, Green and Gold or Silver
for Christmas, White and Gold for New Years.
• There are also food decorating pens that can be used to draw designs
on the chocolate dipped berries.
A few variations on top of the chocolate dipped strawberry itself:
• Ganache filled strawberries. Hollow the berries out first, dip with a
toothpick or soft tongs, let chocolate set and pipe in ganache.
• Liquor or fruit or flavor infused syrup injected strawberry. Dip
strawberries first and then inject.
• Mousse filled strawberries. Follow the same procedure as ganache
filled.
• Dried fruit like papaya, mango, dried banana chips dipped in chocolate.
Dried banana chips dipped in chopped pecans are fabulous.
• Other berries, raspberries and blueberries are lovely alternated on
toothpicks and dipped, end the tip with a fat blueberry to prevent
slippage.
A few dipping tricks:
• White candy melts are easier to use, then melting and tempering
chocolate as well as much easier to manage then white chocolate if
used for a further garnish on top of dark or milk chocolate.
• Make sure your strawberries are room temperate before dipping, the
chocolate will set better.
• After you dip your berry into the melted chocolate as far as you can,
give it a little shake to shake off extra chocolate and cover any missed
spots. Then tip the berry upside down to cover more of the berry
closer to the leaves, as well as tucking under the “tail” of the chocolate.
• Use wax paper or very fine screening after dipping strawberries and
letting them set.
• Chocolate will start to pull away from a strawberry after more then
24 hours, so try not to do them too far ahead of time.
• If you must refrigerate your chocolate dipped strawberries (not recommended
if you can avoid, moisture from the refrigerator can cause
a sheen or white coloration on the chocolate.) Store in an airtight
dry container with several paper towels folded in the corners.
• While Farmer’s Markets have the tastiest strawberries, there is so
much residual sugar in them they don’t hold up as well to being
dipped in chocolate and mold more quickly then store bought.
• The best temperature in which to dip strawberries is going to vary by
brand and by fat content. The best way to gauge whether your
chocolate is “perfect” for dipping is insert a teaspoon into the mix, if
it coats it evenly and doesn’t clot or drip off the bowl off the spoon
to fast, you are at the perfect temperate for dipping.