Make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Prettier With This Coconut Oil Tip
For an elegant homemade treat with little effort, look no further than the chocolate-covered strawberry. Strawberries are delicious on their own, but a hardened chocolate shell brings textural variations as well as flavor, doubling down on decadent sweetness. But for a picture-perfect touch, add a bit of coconut oil to the chocolate first.
Adding coconut oil to the melted chocolate gives the finished product a harder and shinier surface than without. It will also make the chocolate harden faster, which means a shorter cool-down time before eating. And if you're worried about a coconut taste, refined coconut oil has none — or, if you want your strawberries to have a hint of coconut, unrefined oil also works.
Luckily, this fine touch is easy to add. When following this chocolate-covered strawberries recipe, combine 2 tablespoons of coconut oil with about 10 ounces of chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals until fully melted, taking breaks to stir everything together. Or, to do it the old-school way, melt both in a double boiler on the stovetop and stir occasionally until molten and smooth.
Benefits and drawbacks to coconut oil in chocolate
Skipping coconut oil is just one of the common mistakes you might be making with chocolate-covered strawberries. They'll taste fine, but they won't be as pretty or as crunchy-shelled as they could be, and it's a step worth taking. However, adding oil does compound another common error: taking too long to decorate.
Decorative elements like sprinkles should be added before the chocolate fully hardens, which can be a problem when coconut oil firms up faster, even at room temperature. The best solutions are to decorate faster or minimize elements that need to be set in chocolate. There's nothing wrong with a classic dipped strawberry and finishing drizzle.
You may also find that the candy/oil mixture stays smooth more easily than just chocolate. This is also why coconut oil can save overheated chocolate. It won't overcome a carbonized taste from truly burnt chocolate, but if just overcooked, it will fix the viscosity and dullness that otherwise make the chocolate unsuitable for decorating. Beginning with oil in the mix imparts these benefits before they're even needed — and with proper technique, they won't be.