Homemade Valentine's Day Candy

Valentine's Day is a day to show your loved ones how appreciated they really are. What better way to do this than make a handmade yummy just for them? Candy being a traditional Valentine's Day gift, homemade candy just makes sense. This recipe for homemade chocolate-covered strawberries is perfect to make for your spouse, partner or lover. The message of sensual delight and the sweet goodness of chocolate-covered strawberries is fitting for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

1 dozen ripe strawberries. Choose well formed berries with nice tops.

1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Wash and dry the berries. Make sure that they are completely dry.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. Put each type into a separate bowl and microwave in increments of 45 seconds and then stir. When the chips are melted and smooth, remove the bowls. It should take about 2 minutes for each type of chocolate but watch closely so that the chocolate does not burn.

Hold each strawberry by the stem and dip it in one of the chocolates. Swirl it so that it is covered evenly. You do not need to cover the berry all the way to the stem, but cover it about 2/3 in the chocolate. When you remove the berry, make sure that you twirl it to get the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Set each berry onto the waxed paper on it's side. Do 6 in semi-sweet chocolate and 6 in white chocolate.

Refrigerate the berries for approximately 30 minutes to set the chocolate.

Reheat the left over chocolates. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle contrasting chocolate onto each berry. On the semi-sweet berries, drizzle white chocolate and on the white berries drizzle semi-sweet. Make little lines criss crossing the berries. This gives more dimension and decoration to the berries.

Return the berries to the refrigerator to set again.

These are best if eaten within 1 - 2 days of being made. I suggest getting an empty heart shaped candy box and lining it with tissue paper. Then, nestle each berry in more tissue so they are each in a little "nest". Put the cover on the box and present it to your loved one for Valentine's Day! Make sure you are ready to feed a few of these strawberries to your lover as they are best eaten when served up by a lover.

You can also experiment with double dipping these with one side in white and one in dark chocolate. Or, use flavored chocolates for even more of a taste sensation. I prefer my chocolate covered strawberries to be dipped in milk chocolate and fed to me by my husband.... but go wild and try out different ways to serve these!