Super simple chocolate-covered Strawberries

This quick and easy recipe is above and beyond the simplest thing you do this summer.  These are great for quick, prompt to get-together or even just a night of movies at your own house.  They take all of 15 minutes from start to finish and can be done anytime.  

You want to start out with some pretty good sized strawberries.  The bigger the better!

Now, I like to remove the stem on some and leave the stem on others.  For this I like to use the small end of my melon ball'er and it takes away less of the meaty part of the strawberry. 

  

Or you can use the straw method I have seen throughout the "pins" on Pinterest and Twitter.  I still feel that this approach takes too much of the strawberry away, but it's your call.

Line a plate or serving platter with parchment or wax paper.  I like to place the plate or serving platter upside down on the paper and draw the outline then cut it out so that it's uniform with the platter.

 

I use rich/pure chocolate candy bars with semi-sweet chocolate chips for a taste that is more pleasing to the taste buds than just straight chocolate.  I've found that it pairs nicely with the sweet taste of the strawberries too.

The reason the method is so quick and easy is because of the mixing of the chocolate.  Make sure your strawberries are at room temperature, that is key here.

Tip:  Placing your spatula upside down in a glass help keep the mess and splatters on your counter under control too.

Melt your chocolate, little bits at a time.  I like to use the microwave at 30 second intervals so that I don't "burn" the chocolate.  You house is going to small like Willy Wonka during the phase and it almost makes you want to eat the air.  Ha!

Keep heating and stirring and mixing the chocolate for an even consistency and to combine the chocolate candy bar with the chips.

Now comes the fun part!

DIPPING THE BERRIES!

     

                             

                                          And make sure you don't have little thieves!  :)

Once you get all your strawberries coated, let them sit in room temperature to harden.  Placing them in the refrigerator only allows moisture to cover the chocolate and the berries and your chocolate won't harden correctly.  Once they are hardened you can place them in the refrigerator in a covered container so that moisture can't touch them.  Or serve them immediately!  

Enjoy!