It was a busy weekend full of friends, food and fun-the perfect combination for any gathering. Saturday was great fun celebrating the recent marriage of some very dear friends who went to Vegas for the weekend and in true Vegas fashion-tied the knot with a famous chapel, a drive thru and a classic Shelby!
Back home they threw a reception to celebrate with family and friends.
So, what does this have to do with delicious food?
I wanted to take something tasty so I whipped up some brownies and chocolate dipped strawberries. My weekend was swamped so I made this quick simple and still delicious. Here’s some quick tips on how to throw together a fantastic dessert platter for under $10 that will impress.
Brownies
- Family Size Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (big bad to share with the strawberries)
I mixed up the brownies, per package instructions and sprinkled some chocolate chips on top. Baked as directed in a 13×9″ pan. Then I cooled and cut into about 24 pieces to make them bit size. I placed those on a large platter leaving some space around the outside of the platter.
Take It to The Next Level:
- Use white chocolate chips instead
- Stir in white chips and use on top
- Melt white chips, pour on top and use a toothpick to drag through to create pattern
- Add nuts to mix and/or on top
- Sprinkle toasted coconut on top
There are really about a million things you can do to dress up simple brownies.
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
- Package of Strawberries
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
I washed up some strawberries, left the stems on and dried them completely with a hand towel. Set up a double boiler (for me about an inch or two of water in a big pot and a glass bowl hanging from the edge of the pot). Melt the chips slowly and ensure the bubbling water does not touch the bottom of the bowl or you’ll get burnt chocolate.
Once chips are completely melted, give the chocolate a good few stirs to increase the shine and make sure all the chips are melted. Then simply dip your strawberries and place on parchment paper. You can allow them to dry on the paper.
I was in a hurry, so I put the parchment on a baking tray, put the dipped strawberries on that and put them in the freezer for a few.
Take It to The Next Level:
- Tuxedo dip strawberries by dipping in white chocolate, then use a toothpick to place three small dots of dark chocolate down the front. You can also do this in reverse, with the dark chocolate “coat” and the white chocolate “buttons”
- Double dip strawberries by dipping one side in dark chocolate, allow to dry, then dip the other side in white chocolate and allow to dry
- Dip strawberries into chocolate, then directly into crushed nuts, toasted coconut, sprinkles, chocolate shavings or other fun ingredients, then allow to dry
There are lots of other creations you can make with dipped strawberries, just remember to always have fun with it.
Then I simply placed the dripped strawberries around the platter with the brownies. It was pretty, impressive and super easy!
Needless to say, they were a big hit!
You can take super easy elements and turn them into a fantastic success. As with all food, have fun with it!
Always Your Partner in Fabulous Food,
Niki
