It’s Valentine’s Weekend!
In honor of this chocolate-infested, sugar-filled, love-associated holiday, I have decided to post dessert recipes this week!
I know that it’s hard to resist sweet treats, espiecially if (like me) you are single and if (like me) you love sweets and if (like me) you feel like this week is an excuse to eat extra of them!
And if you are also like me, you don’t want to gain 20 pounds in the process.
Heck, even if youaren’t like me, you will still love the desserts that are getting showcased this week! That’s because I have changed up some of the “classic” favorites without reducing the decadence or quality! I’m going to start this extravaganza with one of my favorites: chocolate covered strawberries!
Strawberries and chocolate are a well known aphrodisiacs, meaning that they chemically make your body increase romantic feelings and desires. I mean, come on, the fruit itself is reminiscent of a heart! Strawberries are also fantastic for your skin, and are packed with Vitamin C.
According to Beauty And Lace, chocolate increases Phenylethyalanine, which “induces the emotion of falling in love.” They also point out that “in art
and literature, the strawberry was usually
portrayed as a symbol of sensuality and earthly
desire.”
The average chocolate covered strawberry has about 115 calories. Mine have only 42! By using rich dark chocolate made sweeter with semi-sweet morsels, these plump and juicy strawberries are given elegance and decadence with thick drizzles of smooth chocolate. The chocolate doesn’t completely mask the natural sweetness of the strawberries, which tends to happen with other recipes. In these bites, chocolate and fruit are perfectly balanced to give you a satisfying dessert.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Makes 30 strawberries Calories/strawberry: 42
Ingredients:
- 30 large ripe strawberries (about 2lbs/ 32 ounces), patted dry
- 1/4c semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4c. dark chocolate chips
- 1 tbl light margarine (optional, but I think it makes it taste better)
- 2tbl heavy cream
- 1 and 1/2 tbl milk of choice (I used almond, but soy or skim would also work)
Instructions:
- Lay out wax paper on a large baking sheet (or some flat surface that you will be able to put into your fridge). Place the strawberries on it, all facing the same way, spaced out (with maybe 1/2 inch between them).
- Place a small heat-safe ramekin in a small saucepan. Fill the pan with
water until it reaches about 1/3 way up the ramekin. (Photo below).
Place the chocolate chips in the ramekin. Heat the saucepan over
medium-high heat. As the water around it warms, the chocolate will begin
to melt. Make sure that the water doesn’t get into the chocolate: this will make it grainy. - As the chocolate starts to melt, add in margarine and stir. When chocolate is about 3/4 of the way melted and margarine is well mixed in, remove it from the heat but keep stirring. Slowly stir in the heavy cream and milk of choice, and the chocolate should gradually melt and the ingredients should combine to create a creamy, rich sauce.
The mixture should be slightly thick but smooth enough to drizzle over
the strawberries. - Evenly drizzle the chocolate sauce over the strawberries. Feel free to add an additional 1 tsp of milk at a time if you mind the sauce is still too thick for your liking. (Note: I actually had extra chocolate sauce left over, but I included the full amount in the calorie calculations. Just don’t be surprised if you don’t use it all).
- Place the strawberries in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours. They should be taken out no more than 5 minutes before you plan to have them eaten (they taste best chilled at it also ensures that the sauce is smooth and not messy).
