Get hip to the dip

Since Valentine’s Day is about spending time with the people you love, I decided to host a girl’s only party tomorrow night for all the single ladies in my life. I’ll have plenty of treats, but there’s one in particular I’m excited about: chocolate covered strawberries. Delicious fruit paired with decadent chocolate — is there a better low-cal dessert on earth? Dip strawberries into the chocolate as I describe below and you’ll satisfy your sweet tooth while still fitting into that little red dress. And of course, don’t forget the champagne! At 80 calories a flute with only 1 gram of carbohydrate, it’s a low-cal, festive drink. 


Chocolate Covered Anything

Traditionally this recipe is for chocolate covered strawberries, but feel free to dip your favorite fruit. I’ve tried bananas, oranges, and apricots and they’re all equally delicious. For more of a candy flavor, dip marshmallows, which are only 23 calories each. Top with crushed pistachios after dipping and before setting for a gourmet touch.

Serves: 10

Total time: About 30 minutes


Ingredients:

• 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (or you can melt half a 12-ounce bag of dark chocolate chips)
• 1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Cooking instructions:

1. To melt the chocolate on the stovetop:
2. Put the chocolate into a medium baking bowl.
3. Create a double boiler by filling a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and bringing to a simmer over medium heat.
4. Turn off the heat, and set the bowl of chocolate over the water to melt. Don’t let the water touch the second bowl. Stir until smooth and melted.

To melt the chocolate in the microwave:

1. Put chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high in the microwave for about 1 minute, stir, and then heat for another minute or until melted. Be careful not to overcook the chocolate because it could harden or burn!

To dip the fruit:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip into the chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl.
2. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries.
3. Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. You can put the strawberries into the freezer to set more rapidly.

Nutrition content
Per serving (2 strawberries): 90 calories, 5 g fat, 13 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, .8 g protein

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