Tuxedo Strawberries

Directions

1. If you have never worked with dipping chocolate before, it is best to have all supplies and ingredients measured and ready to use. Liquid of any form dripping in the chocolate will cause chocolate to seize. Please read recipe thoroughly before beginning process.

2. Wipe off strawberries with a slightly damp cloth being careful not to break off stems or caps. Place them on a parchment- or silicone mat-lined cookie sheet. Fill a 2 to 3 quart sauce pot half way with water. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and set aside.

3. Set a heatproof bowl large enough to fit over the top of the sauce pot onto the sauce pot, but do not let the bottom of bowl touch the water.

4. Pour white chocolate disks into bowl and let them melt. Without spilling water into chocolate, carefully stir to evenly melt all chips.

5. Dip a flat side of strawberry into the white chocolate. Gently shake to remove excess chocolate; carefully lay on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining strawberries. Set berries aside to dry.

6. Remove white chocolate bowl from sauce pot and replace with another empty heatproof bowl large enough to fit over the top of the saucepot, but do not let it touch the water.

7. If the water is no longer hot, remove the bowl and reheat the water.

8. Replace bowl onto saucepot and add dark disks. Repeat melting process. Once white chocolate is set on strawberries, dip strawberry at an angle in dark chocolate to form a lapel on each side of the white strawberry ‘chest’. Lay on wax paper to set.

9. Cool remaining chocolate to a thicker consistency by stirring with a spatula. If you have a tip, insert tip into pastry or zipper bag before filling with ¼ cup chocolate. Remove excess air from zipper or pastry bag and seal. If you do not have a tip, cut a very small tip off the corner of the zipper bag after filling with chocolate.

10. Practice making chocolate ‘buttons’ on an empty spot of cookie sheet. Once confident, place three ‘buttons’ on each berry.

11. Finished berries must be left in a cool dry place before serving. Refrigeration can cause them to weep and chocolate to become runny. These should be made the same day they will be served.