Shiny Chocolate-Covered Strawberries for New Year's
Classic and elegant chocolate-covered strawberries get a little bling! The sparkle and shine over the surface make these perfect for ringing in the New Year!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 172kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole fresh strawberries, rinsed and allowed to dry completely
- 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
- 4-inch lollipop sticks cut in half to make 2-inch sticks
- Wilton Silver Pearl Dust
- Silver sanding sugar, like CK Sanding Glitter or Wilton Silver Sanding Sugar
- Silver and gold thin ribbon
Instructions
Prepare the strawberries:
- Line a large casserole dish with waxed paper.
- If the leaves are still fresh and green you can leave them on. Otherwise, gently snip the leaves off without tearing the strawberry. (They'll be decorated with ribbon anyway.)
- Use a skewer or the tip of a knife to poke a hole in the top of the berry, then push a 2-inch lollipop stick into the top of each one.
Melt the chocolate:
- Heat water in the bottom of a double boiler and place the dark chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in the top pan. (You can also place a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of water.)
- Heat the water to a simmer, and stir the chocolate chips until they are smooth and melted.
Cover the strawberries:
- Dip the strawberries one at a time into the chocolate while holding onto the stick—you can also use a spoon to help scoop chocolate over the berry. Allow excess chocolate to drip off, then set each dipped strawberry into the waxed paper-lined dish.
Add the sparkle:
- While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the strawberries first with a bit of the pearl dust, and then with some of the sanding sugar. Continue this way until all of the strawberries are decorated.
- Loosely cover the dish with plastic wrap, being careful not to touch the surfaces of the strawberries.
- Allow the strawberries to set for several hours in a cool place away from heat, but do not refrigerate them.
Add the ribbon:
- Shortly before serving the strawberries, cut short lengths of silver and gold ribbon and curl the ends. Tie ribbon around the sticks on each strawberry.
- Transfer the berries to a platter or festive dish and set them out for your guests. (Preferably in a spot where light will hit them and set the glitter sparkling!)
Notes
Tips
- Give the berries enough time to air-dry after rinsing. They need to be dry before dipping, as any water on the surface will make the chocolate seize.
- I recommend lining a casserole pan with wax paper to hold the berries after they're dipped. The sides of the pan are high enough to cover with plastic wrap and not touch the wet chocolate.
- It's best to prepare these on the day of your event, perhaps in the morning if you are planning an evening party. I don't recommend refrigerating your dipped strawberries: not only can the berries begin to get slimy, but the chocolate is also prone to grayish streaks when it goes in and out of temperature extremes. Instead, dip your strawberries then give them several hours to set in a cool, room-temperature spot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1strawberry | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 22.4mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 0.5mg
