It’s Monday and it’s getting cold out there, I just wanted to share how to prepare this indulgence! Strawberries are great for you, they are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of magnesium and potassium, containing very few calories. Dark chocolate is also good for you (if it contains at least 70% cacao – the darker the better!), it contains antioxidants, fibre, potassium, calcium, copper, and magnesium. But the two of them together might not be that healthy, purely because you would be consuming more chocolate than you need to have a positive impact on your body. Hence why I call them my guilty pleasure! It’s excellent for the mood though.

Who knows, this 2-ingredient recipe could be useful if you want to prepare something a bit special but not too complicated at the same time, something that doesn’t take too long to make and is beginner-friendly too! Chocolate coated strawberries are probably one of the easiest fancy bite-size desserts that everyone loves…

Ingredients you need

First of all, pick fresh strawberries that are quite firm (not too ripe) and with long stems, it will be easier to dip them. For the chocolate part, it’s better to choose a good quality cooking chocolate, to make sure it melts well and then cools down properly. Personally, I like to use Green & Black’s Organic Dark Cooking Chocolate but it’s down to you and your preferences!

Few tips before you start

• Use strawberries at room temperature (or leave them out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before dipping them)
• Strawberries must be dry before dipping them, the coating will stick better
• Prepare your workspace beforehand so you don’t have to rush
• Don’t overheat the chocolate, monitor its consistency every 30 seconds if you’re using a microwave (you can also use a double boiler)
• As there are only 2 ingredients, the quality of each makes a huge difference

Method (with pictures)

1. Clean your strawberries and let them dry

2. Break the chocolate in small pieces and microwave until it’s almost completely melted, then stir with a spoon to get the right consistency (for 250g of strawberries, I used 60g of chocolate)

3. Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate and put them on a parchment baking paper that you’ve prepared in advance

4. Let the chocolate set and rest until it has solidified nicely

Additional toppings

That’s the basic version but you can make it look (and taste) even better with additional toppings. You can drizzle them with melted white chocolate afterwards for example, or anything else you want. Here’s some suggestions:

• Any nuts (crushed),
• Coconut flakes,
• Sprinkles,
• Oreo cookies (crushed),
• Mini chocolate chips, etc.

Enjoy!

Once done, you can store them in the fridge for a day or two (not in the freezer) or in a dry cool place, but they are much better when consumed on the same day!

It’s the ideal dessert for romantic occasions (Valentine’s day, anniversaries…) but any excuse is good enough. Sometimes it’s important to treat yourself with food that makes you happy, as long as it’s done with moderation!

Now it’s your turn, what’s your guilty pleasure?

Big Girl x