Say what you want about Valentine’s Day, but if nothing else, it offers us a great excuse to dip things in chocolate. For all chocolate dipping, I heartily recommend Ghirardelli chocolate. It’s a little more expensive than the generics, but it is oh so worth it.
While I’m about to give you a few ideas of things to dip in chocolate, remember that dipping anything in chocolate is probably a good idea.
Salty Pretzel Sticks
Pretzel sticks seem to be the rage, and they are indeed delicious—salty and sweet perfection. This is an easy one for those of you who are new to chocolate dipping. Simply melt your chocolate of choice and then dip two-thirds of a pretzel stick into the chocolate. Lay it on wax paper to cool and solidify. You can also buy pretty little pretzel bags at large craft stores to make your pretzels more giftable.
Wine Bottle
A few years back, someone gifted me with a chocolate-covered merlot. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited. And Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to pay it forward. Simply melt some chocolate and then dip a wine bottle in it. The professionals shrink wrap the bottle first, so that when you peel away the wrap, the chocolate elegantly breaks off. If your wine bottle has to travel far to get to its recipient, you might want to buy a pretty cellophane bag to wrap it up in.
Fruit
You might also splurge for some fresh strawberries. Strawberries dipped in white chocolate makes for a delicious variation.
Cake Balls
These are a little more work, but they might be worth your trouble. Use a boxed cake mix and make a cake. Simple so far, right? Once cake cools, crumble it into a big bowl and mix in about 12 ounces of frosting. Once the frosting is evenly distributed, roll the mixture into 1 to 1 ½” balls. This part is good for the kids. Place balls on wax paper and chill in refrigerator for a few hours. Now it’s time to dip in the chocolate! Dip chilled balls, one at a time, on a large spoon, into melted chocolate. Keeping the ball on the spoon will save you from chasing it around the bowl of chocolate and possibly losing some cake crumbs in the process.
There you have it! Happy V-day! Happy dipping, sharing, and treating yourself!
Posted by Robin
