What You’ll Need:

2 pints large, ripe strawberries (about 25 strawberries)
2 bittersweet or semi-sweet (4-ounce) baking chocolate bars (I used "Ghiradelli".)

What You’ll Do:

1. You'll need a double-boiler for melting the chocolate. Find a metal (such as stainless steel) mixing bowl that will rest in a medium-sized sauce pan. If you don’t have the above, put the bowl in a skillet but make sure the bowl isn’t too large or it’ll be difficult to dip the strawberries. (The chocolate lake has to be deep.) Put about an inch of water in the bottom of the sauce pan (or a half inch in the skillet) and put the bowl in place.

2. Wash the strawberries, leaving on the stems. Dry completely on paper towels. Important: Chocolate does not like water so make sure that you dry the entire strawberry well. Break up the chocolate into one-inch pieces and put in the bowl. Place the double boiler over medium heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Turn off the heat.

3. Place the strawberries, waxed paper, and the saucepan on the counter. (Put a hot pad under the pan.) Dip the strawberries into the chocolate one at a time, being careful not to break the stems. Dip about three-quarters of the berry into the chocolate, not the entire berry. When you start to get low on chocolate, you may have to roll the strawberries in the chocolate. Lay on waxed paper.

4. When all the berries are dipped, let them harden for about 15 minutes. Important: Do NOT move the strawberries once you’ve placed them on waxed paper; they must harden first. Cover and refrigerate.

GET FESTIVE: Make ‘em sparkle for the fourth by toppin’ them with red, white and blue sprinkles. Add sprinkles while chocolate is still melted or they’ll just roll right off.

*Note: Don't get them out of the refrigerator until just before serving because they'll sweat and get soggy.

Tools:

Waxed paper
Medium saucepan, stainless steel bowl
Rubber spatula

-Anne Vassal