Oh You Shouldn't Have! Chocolate Covered Strawberries

A note from Marie: Nothing says romance like chocolate covered strawberries. Maybe it's because the vibrant red fruit resembles a heart. Or maybe it's the sultry chocolate coating that gently cracks against your teeth and then melts across your tongue. Whatever the case may be, I think you'll be surprised by how easy these are to make. Around Valentine's day, you can often find extra-large strawberries with long stems. I recommend these (if you can find and afford them): Their size and large green tops make an excellent presentation. Otherwise, regular strawberries will work just fine. One last note: If you have left over chocolate, throw some mixed nuts right into the bowl of warm chocolate. Toss until all the nuts are covered. Then, spread the mixture onto wax paper and let cool. (Refrigerate if needed.) You'll end up with a tasty, chocolate-nut brittle. My family enjoyed the brittle as much as the strawberries!

Yields about 1 dozen.

Ingredients:

1 pint medium to large fresh strawberries

2 teaspoons Canola oil

3 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate

Instructions:

Wash and dry the strawberries. (Make sure they are dry; otherwise, the chocolate will be ruined!)

To create a homemade double-boiler, put about 2 inches of water in a small pot. Turn fire to medium heat. Set a heatproof bowl on the skillet, so that it is not touching the water. Place the chocolate and oil into the bowl, and whisk until smooth. Remove the bowl from heat.

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Dip each strawberry into the melted, warm chocolate and then place on waxed paper. Repeat with each strawberry, reheating the chocolate if it starts to cool and thicken.

Refrigerate the chocolate-covered strawberries for 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove each berry from the waxed paper and serve immediately.