Valentine’s Day Chocolate-Dipped Treats
Chocolate. It’s one of my favorite food groups. And now that February is here, all things indulgent that involve chocolate are on full display.
Now, you could spend a small fortune and have someone make chocolate-dipped goodies for you, but where is the fun in that? And why not get in your own kitchen and whip up some treats with someone you love: your kids! Some of my favorite memories growing up were times spent in the kitchen with my grandmother, and I hope to make many more memories with my son in our kitchen!
Chocolate-Dipped Fruit Kabobs (verybestbaking.com)
My philosophy with a recipe like this is to use it as a guideline. Don’t like the fruit they suggest? Pick different fruit. Or just use one kind of fruit. The possibilities are endless.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 18 pieces bite-size fresh fruit, (strawberries, apple, banana, kiwifruit)
- 6, 4-inch wooden skewers
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Microwave the morsels in a small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on high (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10 to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Dip the fruit about halfway into chocolate; shake off excess. Or, place melted chocolate in a small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze to drizzle over fruit. Place fruit on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes or until chocolate is set. Place three pieces of fruit on each skewer. Enjoy!
Frozen Chocolate Monkey Treats (tasteofhome.com)
This is another recipe where you could totally customize toppings: mini chocolate chips, or maybe even peanut butter chips. You could also use different chocolate chips for the coating. I’m not a dark chocolate fan, so I would probably substitute semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. Be creative!
Ingredients
- 3 medium bananas
- 1 cup (6 ounces) dark chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons shortening
- Toppings: chopped peanuts, toasted sweetened shredded coconut and/or colored jimmies
Directions
- Cut each banana into six pieces (about 1 in.). Insert a toothpick into each piece; transfer to a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze until completely firm, about 1 hour. In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip banana pieces in chocolate mixture; allow excess to drip off. Dip in toppings as desired; return to baking sheet. Freeze at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Editor’s Note: To toast coconut, bake in a shallow pan in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Chocolate-Covered Pretzels (simplyrecipes.com)
Chocolate dipped pretzels are one of those treats that can be fairly expensive to purchase, yet are so easy to make yourself! I would go big and use pretzel rods with lots of colored sprinkles. Pretty and tasty!
Note: When buying white chocolate, check the ingredients and make sure cocoa butter is listed. A lot of inferior white chocolate just uses vegetable oil which doesn’t melt very well and won’t work for coating pretzels. Feel free to swap the semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in this recipe for any favorite chocolate that you enjoy eating. If you’re topping the pretzels with sprinkles or something similar, be sure to do it while the chocolate covering the pretzels is still wet so that they stick.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips (see note above)
- 4 ounces (72 individual) mini pretzel twists
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate: Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir the chips. Microwave for 30 seconds at 100% power. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- If the chocolate still has lumps, microwave in 15-second intervals at 100% power, stirring between each interval until smooth. Dip half the pretzels in semi-sweet chocolate: Place a mini pretzel in the semi-sweet chocolate and push it below the surface with a fork to coat.
- Remove the excess chocolate: Use a fork to remove the pretzel from the chocolate. Then tap it gently against the sides of the bowl until most of the chocolate has dripped off. Wipe the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate then slide the pretzel onto the lined baking sheet (use a second fork if needed).
- Repeat until you have coated half the pretzels. You should still have a little melted chocolate left. Repeat the process for melting the chocolate using the white chocolate chips in a clean bowl. Repeat the coating process with the remaining pretzels in the white chocolate.
- Drizzle the pretzels using the remaining chocolate: Dip a fork in the remaining semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle it over the white chocolate-coated pretzels; repeat with the remaining white chocolate.
- Refrigerate all the pretzels until the chocolate is hard. Then remove from pan and store in an air-tight container in the fridge. The pretzels will keep for 7 to 10 days.
