For those of you engaging in romantic activities of varying levels today, I have a special treat for you. There is one food that truly means "sex" to Western culture, and that food is chocolate-covered strawberries. The sweet, juicy tang of the strawberry and the warm, luscious cover of chocolate is enough to get anybody in the mood. Plus, these have booze in them, just in case you're feeling tense! So, sit back, take notes, and get ready for that romantic favorite.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries with Godiva
First thing's first. Go out and get yourself a carton of strawberries. Look for large ones with good color and minimal bruising. Mind you, February is not exactly "in season" for strawberries, so just do the best you can. Now go ahead and wash those berries, then pick out the prettiest ones. You want to show your best side for this dish.
Now, melt about a cup, cup and a half, of chocolate chips or whatever chocolate you have hanging about. (You might want to pick the favorite variety of your intended love target. I'm fond of dark chocolate myself, even though I used semi-sweet in this recipe for convenience.) If you have a double boiler, commercial or makeshift, by all means, use it. If not, go ahead and nuke your chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring at each interval. Careful! Burnt chocolate is not sexy!
Now make sure your berries are DRY. Give them a gentle toweling if they're still wet from washing. If your strawberries are still wet, the chocolate won't adhere well to them. You may want to add your liqueur now (as covered below), but I chose to wait until later.
Now it's time to dip those strawberries!
Grasp the strawberry by the top and give it a dip and a twist in the chocolate, giving it a good, thick coating. Then lay out the covered strawberry on wax paper and let sit in a cool place to harden.
Now is when I injected my strawberries with liqueur, although you could certainly do it pre-dip. It may even be less messy that way.
Anyhow, for this operation, you'll need a flavor syringe, widely available in any grocery store. It is a fun tool to have around, so it's worth the cheap, cheap price.
Take the syringe and fill it with a liqueur of your (or your beloved's) choice. A popular liqueur for this dish is Grand Mariner. However, this time around, I used Godiva liqueur, because... well... it's chocolate.
Now stick the loaded syringe into the strawberry and aim for the center.
Squirt just a tiny amount into the berry, because a tiny amount is all that's going to fit. It's a tiny cavity.
(I often wish I had a similar sign pointing to my mouth)
Now for the fun, and utterly frustrating, part. Decoration! Melt some white chocolate and put it into a pastry bag with a small, fine tip. If you don't have a pastry bag, you could technically get away with a ziplock baggie with a hole poked in the corner. But seriously, get a pastry bag. They are mad useful. Now carefully, decorate your strawberries. It may take some practice, but here's a hint; hearts are the easiest to do! Make two dots next to each other and give a quick, light flick down the middle!
Now let your designs set. One last thing to do! Artfully arrange your strawberries on a plate for your sweetheart one and get ready for some sweet, sweet lovin'.
Happy Valentine's Day!
~Chef Z
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