How To Make Tuxedo Strawberries

Surprise your guests at your next dinner party by learning how to make tuxedo strawberries. A tuxedo strawberry is a large juicy, long stem strawberry that is dipped into white chocolate, then dark or milk chocolate to create a tuxedo front, and decorated with buttons and a bow tie.

To make tuxedo strawberries, you will need:

• Ripe long stem strawberries
• White coating chocolate
• Dark or Milk coating chocolate
• Double boiler
• Parchment paper
  

1. Wash the strawberries. Wash the strawberries in cool water and dry them thoroughly. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Melt the white coating chocolate. Place the white coating chocolate in a double boiler and melt it to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the chocolate until melted. Cool the melted chocolate to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Hold a strawberry by the stem and hold the leaves away from the strawberry. Dip the strawberry into the melted white coating chocolate until it is covered almost to the stem and leaves.  Hold over the bowl to let excess chocolate drip off then place the coated strawberry on the cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Repeat until all the strawberries are covered in white chocolate.
4. Melt the dark or milk coating chocolate. Place the dark or milk coating chocolate in a double boiler and melt it to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the chocolate until melted. Cool the melted chocolate to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Hold a strawberry by the stem and hold the leaves away from the strawberry. Dip the back side of the strawberry in the dark or milk coating chocolate first. Dip each side of the strawberry in the melted chocolate on an angle. The object is to create the tuxedo front by creating a V shape with the dark or milk chocolate. The front of the strawberry should have a white shirt covered by dark or milk chocolate making the jacket or coat lapels.
6. Paint a bow tie and three buttons. Use a toothpick or small brush to make three dots starting from the base of the white shirt, going up the middle. Add a dark chocolate bow tie above the buttons. Serve on a platter or individually wrap the tuxedo strawberries in clear cellophane and tie with satin ribbon.

Tips: Make your own double boiler by filling a pot with water and heating it until it is just ready to boil. Place the chocolate in another pot, metal bowl, or Pyrex container and place it inside the pot over the heated water.

Warnings: If the dark or milk chocolate is not hot enough your tuxedo lines (made from dipping on an angle) will not be straight. Reheat the chocolate to correct the problem.

Reference:

Shotts, Andrew Garrison. Making Artisan Chocolates. Quarry Press, 2007.