Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

To satisfy sweet-tooth cravings try this simple recipe for chocolate-dipped strawberries, on Valentine's Day, or any special day! If you must have candy on Valentine's Day, you might as well try to make it as healthy as possible, right?

Nutritional Benefits

Experts now agree that dark chocolate contains anti-oxidents and B vitamins, and that small doses are encouraged (you don't have to ask me twice)! Mixed with heart-healthy strawberries, which are loaded with vitamin C, the bigger and brighter red they are, the better. I recommend this as a healthy indulgence, a variation of a recipe found in my cookbook the "ABC's of Nutritious Cooking & Living a Healthier Lifestyle" (Majors & Majors, 2010).

Only 3 Items Needed

1 basket very large, red, ripe strawberries, rinsed off and air dried

1 cup semi-sweet (dark) chocolate chips

Wax paper, laid out over a plate or counter top

Easy-to-Make Directions

Place the dark semi-sweet chocolate chips in a bowl and melt in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, or just until smooth. Allow chocolate to cool slightly before dipping the strawberries one-by-one.

Grab the large strawberries gently by the green tops or stem (if still attached) and dip into the melted chocolate, covering only 1/3 of the strawberry (or less). Allow any chocolate drops to drip back into bowl before placing strawberries gently onto the wax paper.

Fill an entire plate of dipped strawberries, and place in the refrigerator. This will set the chocolate and keep the strawberries fresh while you cook dinner. Your Valentine delicacies will be ready in an hour or less.

Serving Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

To present as individual gifts, simply wrap in saran-wrap squares, and tie a bow around the gathered wrapping ends (over the strawberry) with curling ribbons. For a special desert, serve on Valentine's heart-shaped doilies, to those you love on Valentine's Day or any day!