Woo Your Sweet Heart With Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. That’s right, less than 24 hours before you have to come up with some last minute gift to please your significant other. You could go to the store and buy a box of pre-made chocolates, if you think your sweetheart would like them. But, chocolate covered strawberries have become the classic treat to gift to your valentine.

Though, such gifts can get a bit pricey, especially if you throw in some flowers and a necklace, too. Don’t worry, you can make the decadent strawberries from the comfort of your own kitchen! Your beloved will appreciate the effort you put in to making something homemade just for her (or him.)

You won’t even have to tell her how easy they are to make. The first one utilizes an ice cube try. Yes, an ice cube tray.

The Cheap Recipe Blog brings us this super easy recipe for Chocolate Covered Strawberries (made in an ice cube tray.)

Ingredients:
12 medium strawberries
12-ounce bag of chocolate chips (I used just under a whole bag of chocolate chips to make one tray of chocolate-covered strawberries)

Directions:
Rinse strawberries and set aside to dry. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, or in a makeshift double boiler on the stovetop. Heat until chocolate is melted, and stir until smooth. Fill each ice cube slot about 2/3 full with chocolate. Place one strawberry in each slot. Place tray in refrigerator and chill for at least one hour until chocolate is set.

To remove strawberries from tray, simply grab both ends of the tray and turn slowly in opposite directions — just like you do to remove ice cubes from the tray.

The kitchens over at Food Network also offer up a recipe — though with a little added flair. A white chocolate drizzle makes the presentation of the strawberries seem professional.

Ingredients:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Directions:
Place the chocolate into separate heatproof bowls. Fill two medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and place the bowls of chocolate over the water. This will melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth. The chocolate can also be melted in the microwave. At half power, heat the chocolate for one minute, stir, and heat for another minute or until melted and smooth.

After the chocolate is melted and smooth, remove the bowls from heat. Line a sheet pan with waxed or parchment paper. Take a strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly. Allow any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Set the dipped strawberries onto the waxed paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Once all of the berries are covered, dip a fork into the white chocolate and drizzle it over them.

Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

A word of advice, if you are going to make chocolate covered strawberries at home, do not skimp on the chocolate. Godiva, Ghiradelli, and Guittard are all great choices. Your sweetie will taste the difference between the cheap stuff and the good stuff. Besides, it will still be cheaper than buying pre-dipped strawberries.

If you are not a fan of dark or bittersweet chocolate, you can also cut bitterness with a bit of milk chocolate.

Strawberries and chocolate are often called aphrodisiacs, which is why they have become such popular treats for the day of love. Will you be making your Valentine some chocolate covered strawberries tomorrow?

[Photo by Joe Raedle /Getty Images, second photo courtesy of Cheap Recipe Blog]