Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Heatproof metal bowl
• Heatproof rubber spatula
• Cookie sheet lined with parchment

Ingredients:

• 8-16 ounces 56% bittersweet couverture discs (or chocolate of your choice, though I recommend chocolate with a bit of extra cocoa butter for fluidity)
• Frest strawberries, as many as you like

Method:

1. If your strawberries have been chilled, allow them to come to room temperature. The berries must not have a single drop of water or condensation on them, so it is best not to rinse them just before use. If you are confident in the safety of your source, it is best not to rinse them at all. 
2. Pour about 2 inches of water into the saucepan or the bottom of a double boiler. Bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, and let sit one full minute. 
3. While the water is heating, place 8-16 ounces of chocolate discs in the metal bowl, or the top of a double boiler. Place the bowl over the hot water, ensuring that the bowl is not touching the surface of the water. 
4. Allow the chocolate to melt over the hot water, stirring occasionally. Once the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the saucepan.
5. To dip your strawberries, grasp the green stem end between your thumb and index finger and submerge the strawberry in the chocolate up to it’s “shoulders”. Lift the strawberry out of the chocolate and very gently rotate the berry over the bowl so that it “spins” off any excess chocolate. 
6. Place the dipped berries on your parchment lined cookie sheet, and then chill until the chocolate has set and you are ready to serve them.

Note: If you would like your chocolate dipped strawberries to have a professional look and to hold at room temperature for a day, you can follow these instructions for tempering your chocolate before dipping: https://www.raggedcoastchocolates.com/blogs/news/how-to-temper-chocolate