National Strawberry Day with Chocolate

Today is National Strawberry Day!

That's a bit weird for me living in the US's midwest because I look outside and I do not see strawberries growing. If you have access to strawberries from trade or a greenhouse, here are a couple of ideas of how you can add chocolate to your delicious berries to give them an extra kick.

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Muddied Strawberries

Muddied Strawberries
By: TammyJo Eckhart

For every 6-7 ounces of fresh cut strawberries, mix in 10 g sugar (or sugar substitution), 5 g cocoa powder, and 10 g whipped cream.

Wash the berries (if you like, I do) then let them thoroughly dry.

Remove the stems and cut each berry into halves or quarters depending on the size of the berry.

Top with the cocoa powder, sugar, and cream.

Gently blend the ingredients together to make sure the cocoa powder is worked through the cream and sugar and coats the strawberries. Gentle is the key so you do not damage the sliced strawberries.

Serve while it is still chilled.

You can add more cocoa and less sugar depending on your own personal taste and the ripeness of the berries you are using.

Depending on the ingredients, this quick easy treat may be under 120 calories, too!

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Dipped Strawberries

Of course, you can dip whole strawberries in liquid chocolate and then let that harden, too. While I think dipped strawberries look lovely, I'm not a big fan of them because dipping works best if you keep the stem and leaves on the top of the strawberry for 1) easy dipping and 2) to help the berry stay fresh lower because the inside is not exposed. Perhaps I'm just spoiled, but I prefer to cut off the stem and leaves and eat the entire strawberry. One way to enjoyed dipped but destemmed strawberries would be to prepare them only an hour or so before you will be serving them. Put them in the refrigerator to chill for at least 45 minutes or you can risk a quick freeze for 20 minutes though I think it damages the flavor and texture of the berries. I've sure you've seen how fancy these dipped strawberries can give with layers of chocolate, drizzles, and sometimes even candy added onto them for decoration. Just remember that the more chocolate and candy you've added, the less healthy you can claim these treats to be.

Fondue Style Dipped Strawberries

Cut off the stems from the strawberries and use the fondue skewer to hold them and then dip them. Personally I like to totally dunk my strawberry in the fondue but other like a small amount. You control how much chocolate you get this way plus you can share a fondue with several people or just a loved one. Be careful to not eat the dipped berry too fast because hot melted chocolate has a lot of fat in it and that is hotter than you may think. No reason to burn your mouth or tongue when you can easily wait for a minute before popping the berry into your mouth. 

Strawberry Candies

Of course, you can find a large variety of strawberry flavored candies and chocolates but for National Strawberry Day, try to go with real fruit and not just flavored items.