The Trick To Making Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

There is only one trick I know of for making pretty perfect Chocolate Covered Strawberries, but it’s not one that I like to admit to. Don’t tell anyone that I told you that adding CRISCO to your chocolate is just the thing to make the finished product perfectly glossy and nicely hardened.

I have written it about it before, but I’ve changed the recipe a tiny bit, so I wanted to mention it again. Now I use less Crisco and the result is still stellar.

I don’t generally weigh ingredients, but for this I do. For every 8 ounces of chocolate, use 1 tablespoon of Crisco. (I used to use 1 tablespoon for every FOUR ounces of chocolate.) Melt the two together however you wish – on the stove over a double boiler or in the microwave. In the microwave, melt the chocolate and Crisco in a deep (not wide) bowl or measuring pitcher. Heat on 100% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one until chocolate is melted. Note: Make sure that all your utensils, bowls, pots etc. are completely dry. A few drops of water will make the chocolate seize and you’ll have a total mess.

This time I used milk chocolate, which I usually don’t like, but it was really good with the strawberries! Also I coated them a lot higher up than I usually do. (More chocolate!)

Let the coated strawberries sit on waxed paper until hardened. An hour is a safe amount of time. Don’t refrigerate them before serving or their glossy finish may turn dull.
 

Use white, dark or milk chocolate or two different chocolates, dipping first in one, letting it harden and then dipping in the second variety. Or use a different chocolate for drizzling over to make a nice contrast. Melt each chocolate the same way (with the Crisco). 

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Use the leftover chocolate to coat graham cracker squares for a nice treat. Sprinkle with some pretty colored sugar. (These would make a good base for S'Mores too...) 

Classic Valentine's Day Treat - Chocolate Covered Strawberries

These are so easy to make. The hardest part is picking the strawberries. You can have these made in the time it takes for your Valentine to pick up some flowers. (Champagne wouldn't hurt either.)

For a contrasting look to your chocolate covered strawberries, use white AND dark chocolates. It's probably better to start with the white unlike what I did here...

Melt 4 oz. white chocolate with 1 tablespoon of Crisco. (Using JUST chocolate gets too gloppy.) The Crisco gives you a nice smooth dippable texture and it will harden nicely. Stir well and just before you're ready to dip, put the bowl back in the microwave for 10 seconds. Lean the bowl on the edge of a coaster to make a deeper pool of chocolate in which to dip. Dip half the strawberry at a sharp angle, then lay gently on wax paper. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.

For a contrasting look, melt 4 oz. dark chocolate in the same way with 1 tablespoon of Crisco. Dip the opposite side of the strawberry at the same sharp angle. Let sit to harden for 15 or 20 minutes.

Reheat chocolates and drizzle over the dipped strawberries. Let sit on wax paper until ready to serve.

Do NOT refrigerate for best results. Make them and serve the same day. Refrigerate leftovers, but strawberries will get a bit mushy and chocolate will get hard.

Variations: Dip strawberries in just one chocolate and use the other to drizzle over. Or dip and drizzle in same chocolate.

I Heart Madhur

This may not be a typical Valentine’s Day dinner, but it IS sooooooooo good. It’s from Madhur Jaffrey’s World of the East Vegetarian Cooking.

Madhur Jaffrey is to Indian food what Julia is to French food. Madhur is a fine cook who also happens to be a beautiful movie star. Maybe that's what gives her those excellent communication skills in teaching western cooks (and I’m sure many South Asian ones as well) the fabulous Indian food of her childhood.

Email me for the original recipe, this is my version.

Madhur Jaffrey’s and My Zucchini Meatballs
Meatballs:
2 zucchini (1 lb), grated
1 1 inch piece ginger
1 jalapeno, seeded
1 small onion
1 handful fresh coriander
1/3 cup flour
5 tbls. olive or vegetable oil for frying

Sauce:
2 medium onions
¼ tsp. turmeric
1/8 tsp. or so cayenne
2 tsps. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
2 tomatoes, minced
1 cup heavy cream
½ tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. cumin seeds, roasted and ground (see note)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Optional for garnish: ½ raw cashews, toasted

Grate the zucchini in a food processor. Put in a colander over a bowl and mix with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt. Let drain for 30 minutes. You’ll be using the zucchini juice.

With the steel blade, mince the 2 medium onions for the sauce and remove from food processor and set aside.

Mince the ginger and jalapeno for the meatballs in the food processor. Add the small onion and fresh coriander and process until finely minced. Place in medium bowl.

Squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the zucchini. Really squeeze! Make up to one cup with water. Set liquid aside. Add the grated zucchini to the onion and ginger mixture. Stir in flour and mix well.

Divide mixture into 16 balls. I divide it into 4 piles and then make 4 balls from each.

Heat oil in small nonstick frying pan or wok over medium heat. . (I like the wok because I can use less oil and it’s deeper because of the small circumference of the bottom. Got that?)

Fry 8 balls at a time, for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. Remove to paper towel lined plate. (Remember my tip of just using paper towels on the top layer? The bottom can be newspaper.) Fry second batch. Drain. (You’re welcome to deep fry these, if you wish.) Reserve cooking oil.

For the sauce, in a medium sauté pan, heat about 4 tablespoons of the cooking oil over medium low heat. Stir in the 2 minced onions and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. The onions should start to brown at the edges.

Add the turmeric, cayenne, cumin and coriander. Stir over lowest heat for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes. Stir over medium low heat for 3 minutes. Add one cup zucchini juice. Bring to the boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 6 to 7 minutes. Make in advance up to this point.

Add the cream, garam masala and roasted ground cumin if using. Simmer for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Handling the zucchini meatballs very gently (they’re fragile), add them to the pan. Coat with sauce and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until hot. If sauce gets too thick, thin it with a bit of vegetable stock. Serve with basmati rice.

Note:
The roasted and ground cumin is the heart of this dish. You too will fall in love with cumin prepared this way.

Roast the seeds in a cast iron pan over medium heat until they begin to smell toasty. Cool slightly and grind them in a coffee grinder. They add a nutty roasted full flavor to the sauce.

BUT, if you can’t manage this extra step, make this dish anyway and just add leave out the extra cumin. It’s still fantastic.

Happy Valentine's Day

I once had a devoted young man in my life who did it ALL on Valentine's Day - flowers, candy, meticulously planned out lavish dinner and you know what? It was kind of annoying.

Fast forward to today and H...As with many things in life, I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum now. What to do? Just enough to make him feel guilty AND whatever I want...with or without his knowledge. (There is NOTHING wrong with buying yourself a new pair of shoes or even a refrigerator - that's another story - for Valentine's Day.)

I'll report on dinner tomorrow, but as for dessert...

Sometimes the standard things are just right and that's how I feel about chocolate dipped strawberries. The most important thing is NOT TO REFRIGERATE THEM. Okay, if you're a bit over zealous and you've made 20 for the 2 of you, go ahead and refrigerate the five you have left, but they will in no way resemble the ones you've tasted at room temperature. They will hold up fine for a day or two.

Melt 4 oz. dark chocolate (mix your favorites, if you wish) with 1 tablespoon of Crisco. (Please don't tell anyone I told you that and deny it if someone asks.) There is simply no other way to get a perfectly smooth dippable consistency that hardens nicely. Cream won't harden as well and you'll have an issue with the room temperature part. For a dual chocolate coating, melt 4 oz white chocolate with you know what. Actually, you may want to start with the white and then move on to the dark, but either way works.

Melt the chocolate with the...shhhhhh...Crisco in the microwave - about a minute and a half, stir and then microwave another 10 to 15 seconds until not quite melted. Stir well and just before you're ready to dip, put the bowl back in the microwave for 10 seconds. Lean the bowl on the edge of a coaster to give you a deeper pool of chocolate in which to dip. Let sit for a half hour or so and then dip the strawberries in your contrasting chocolate or use the same one and drizzle on a different chocolate. Whatever floats your boat..

I dip the first side of the strawberry at an angle, the second in a different chocolate at an opposite angle, and then drizzle a little extra chocolate over. Enjoy!