The Best Chocolate For Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Nothing looks quite as effortlessly luxurious as a plate of shining chocolate-covered strawberries. The smooth decadence of chocolate blended with a strawberry's sweet tanginess is a match made in heaven, and that's not even mentioning the divine textural combination of a snappy chocolatey exterior and the strawberry's juicy interior. Whether served before dinner as a jovial amuse bouche with champagne or as a luscious dessert dish alongside an espresso, chocolate-covered strawberries are sure to be a crowd-pleaser no matter when they're brought to the table. However, there's one key detail that you must consider when making these wonderful little delicacies, something that you may not otherwise consider until it's too late: which chocolate is best for coating strawberries?
Not all chocolate is created equal, especially when it comes to melting it down and using it to coat strawberries. Just think about it; these treats really only consist of two ingredients that share the spotlight, so you need to make sure you're using the right chocolate for the job. Different kinds of chocolate temper at different stages than others, while some chocolate is better suited to complement the taste of your strawberries. Don't worry though — here's a comprehensive guide to choosing the right chocolate for your needs.
Which chocolate tempers the best?
While in theory, you could grab any chocolate for this purpose, that doesn't mean you should. Not every chocolate will adapt to tempering, the process of heating and cooling chocolate to give it its characteristic sheen, smoothness, and snap once cooled.
It may surprise you, but classic chocolate chips aren't a desirable option. As a general rule, chocolate with more cocoa butter will temper more easily, and regular chocolate chips are made to withstand high temperatures in the oven and contain less cocoa butter than other chocolates. Ultimately, they will make tempering more difficult and create a less satisfying end product.
Chocolate with a generous supply of cocoa butter is ideal for tempering. Look for chocolate couverture, which refers to any chocolate that has at least 31% cocoa butter. The high percentage of cocoa butter makes melting effortless. This also helps to give tempered chocolate a nice shine after it sets. Typically, dark, semi-sweet, milk, and white chocolates all have enough cocoa butter in them to effectively temper — just buy a good quality product and avoid additives that hinder the tempering process. This is especially true with white chocolate, which should contain only cocoa butter and sugar.
Alternatively, to avoid needing tempering altogether (which can be finicky), you can use cocoa candy melts, which melt easily and will stay solid at room temperature, but don't contain nearly as much cocoa as other forms of chocolate. Ultimately, you have several unique options when choosing a solid coating.
Choose a chocolate that suits your taste
You'll also want to consider the taste of your chocolate-covered strawberries. The general consensus seems to be that semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate is best for coating strawberries, which does make sense. The natural bitterness and strong cocoa flavor in either chocolate is a stark contrast to the sweetness and acidity of strawberries, ensuring that each flavor is distinct and complementary. That said, it's certainly not uncommon to see strawberries dipped in a relatively sweeter milk chocolate or even white chocolate. Even though their sugar content is higher than darker chocolates, their sweetness complements strawberries nicely while maintaining a flavor that remains unique when paired with them. As for the textural component of chocolate-covered strawberries. All of the chocolates listed, when tempered, will give you a glorious snap when you bite into each strawberry. So when it comes to picking a chocolate that suits your strawberries, you can take solace in knowing that there's no real wrong choice, however, a darker chocolate is preferred by many.
With a plethora of options available for your chocolate-covered strawberries, don't be surprised if you end up whipping up multiple different batches of these simple but exquisite treats. If you store your chocolate-covered strawberries properly, they can last for some time and they're guaranteed to please.