For Easier Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Break Out The Ice Cube Tray

Chocolate-covered strawberries will always hit the spot, even if the process gets a little messier than expected. Thankfully, your ice cube tray might be the secret to enjoying this delightful treat with fewer complications. While the tradition of dipping your strawberries in liquid chocolate comes with a certain level of commotion, joy, and chaos (and that is absolutely valid), these ice cube tray molds make perfect sense. The process is quick (roughly five minutes of preparation time), clean, and perfect as a tidbit to impress guests (or yourself). 

The trick lies in melting chocolate chip cookies to a smooth consistency. Stir the melted chocolate to avoid clumps and then set it aside. You can add a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil to the mix to give it a glossy finish and help it set. Wash and dry the fresh strawberries and, depending on your ice cube tray, leave the stems attached. Pour the chocolatey mix into each square of the tray, only filling it ⅔ of the way. Plop in one strawberry per cube and then put the whole tray into the refrigerator to chill for approximately one hour.

Once set, it is time to slide the chocolate-coated strawberries out of the tray. You can remove them by gently twisting and turning the tray to loosen the treats from the mold. The best way to store your leftover chocolate-covered strawberries is to leave them at room temperature — just pop them back into the tray and cover them loosely with plastic wrap.

There are several ways to enhance your chocolate-coated strawberry obsession. Learning how to temper chocolate will make the process simpler and will even gift you prettier-looking chocolate strawberries. A tempered chocolate coating is preferable because it tends to last longer rather than melting in your hands later. Not only is tempered chocolate able to endure warmer temperatures (making it great for transporting and traveling), but it also gives off a shine that every chocolate lover knows is a mark of quality. It also helps avoid overly gloopy consistency since chocolate that isn't properly prepared can make pouring an acute disaster. Just be careful with your double boiler. Mixing water into melted chocolate is the main cause of lumpy chocolate aka seizing. 

Feeling fancy? You could also melt and mix a selection of chocolates to create a chocolatey bath for your fresh strawberries. Milk, white, dark, and fruity ruby chocolate are each strong contenders that come with exciting color palette combinations for a unique chocolate base. The best type of chocolate for delicious chocolate-covered strawberries is one that contains lots of cocoa butter. This is mainly down to the texture and appearance, which stands out with higher percentages of cocoa butter. Cocoa butter-rich chocolate is also a prized choice because it speeds up the melting process and promises a glossy finish. The results are bound to impress however you choose to experiment.