Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Did you know that Chocolate Covered Strawberries are so so so so so easy to make?

For some reason I always thought that they must be incredibly difficult and time-consuming and expensive to create. Oh, wait, I do know the reason - because they are ridiculously over-priced in those mall specialty shops. It's a classic case of "Over-price it and they will come." Oh, and I did! One hundred years ago I would save 3 weeks worth of minimum wage salary at Wet Seal just to enjoy a single specialty strawberry. Sure, it was worth it. But that was a hundred years ago. Things change. When I figured out how easy they are to make, it made me reevaluate my view of the world.

Anyway!

I don't even measure anymore. That's how easy they are to make. You can check out an official recipe here if you want to be all measury and stuff. One more thing, if you don't have vegetable shortening, go ahead and make them anyway. Lots of recipes call for the shortening, and lots of recipes don't. I think the strawberries turn out better with the shortening, but it's not a huge difference.

Here's what you need:

Strawberries

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Vegetable Shortening

In review, just in case you missed it:

Strawberries:

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and Vegetable Shortening:

(I used Hershey's because it was on sale, but I usually use whatever cheap store brand I can get for cheap. Reevaluate the world. Cheap. It really doesn't matter. Cheap.)

Throw some chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl or cup and add a large spoonful of shortening:

Stick the cup in the microwave:

Most recipes will tell you to melt the chocolate chips over a double-boiler. I read that as "An extra dish to wash," so I don't do it.

VERY IMPORTANT! Don't over-heat the chocolate chips. If you do, the chocolate will seize and get lumpy and hard and you'll have to throw it away.

Turn on the microwave and watch. Check the chocolate chips every 30 seconds. When they look like this:

Take them out. Stir until they all melt into this deliciousness:

Dip your strawberries into the chocolate and place them on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Stick them in the fridge for as long as you can stand it:

Or until the chocolate cools and hardens - about 20 to 30 minutes.

Beautiful!

And, yes, I know you can make them all extra fancy by drizzling on white chocolate, blah blah blah. Let me just tell you about my Chocolate Covered Strawberries: See how mine are all fancy in a bowl? It's all a lie. I eat them right off the cookie sheet. As I stand in front of the open refrigerator. So I don't have to share them with my family.

Yep.