Chocolate! Cakes and Strawberries

Spent the other day with Miss Picky in the kitchen. She was debating what we should bake. We don't usually agree. I was shooting for quick and easy. She wanted long and involved. It would definitely have to be something with chocolate. She found some strawberries, buried way back in the frig, barely surviving, those poor things. But they could be saved and be absolutely delicious dipped in chocolate. We weren't serving them to company, it was our treat! That worked for both of us, she got chocolate, and I got quick and easy, minimal clean up! She threw a wrench into the plans by looking in the pantry and digging out a quick bread mix from Williams-Sonoma that looked like something we had to have last time we were there. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Quick bread. It was the QUICK in the title that got me on that one!  OK, I'm a good sport. Most of the time anyway! and so began our time in the kitchen. Me and Miss Text Everyone while we bake, mix and melt!

  Although we had one vote for bittersweet and one for milk chocolate, milk chocolate won. Strawberries dipped in any kind of chocolate is a winning combination!

 Just add melted butter and eggs. It says QUICK right there. 

Instead of making a loaf we decided to put the mini bundt pans to good use. and a couple mini tart pans, too!  We dusted the pans with cocoa powder instead of flour. 

So with mini bundt's or bundt pans in general, the bottom of the pan is really the top of the cake, right? We followed directions, didn't over fill, not too much anyway and the bottom (or top?) or whatever kind of got rounded instead of flat. The mini tart pan cake definitely wasn't sitting pretty in the plate as you can see! The bundt was not too bad when you turned it over. See all the peanut butter chips? Delicious! Even topsy-turvy!

 

In the end, the bundt's came out nice! A little sprinkle of powdered sugar and all was well with the cakes!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
 Printable Recipe
 
16 ounces milk or bittersweet chocolate chips (white chocolate or nay other kind of chips)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (optional, it gives it a smoother texture, but you don't need it)
pound fresh strawberries with leaves

Line a baking sheet or cookie pan with parchment or waxed paper.

Wash the strawberries and pat them dry with paper towels; set aside. NOTE: Make sure the strawberries are completely dry. Any drop of water in the melted chocolate can cause it to "seize" and turn the chocolate mixture into a grainy mess.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips (and vegetable oil, if using) in the microwave for one minute. Check and stir. If it needs more time, put it in for 30 second bursts, checking and stirring, it doesn't have to be completely melted, you don't want to scorch the chocolate.  Remove the container from the microwave and stir the chocolate until completely melted.

Grasp the stem or green leafy part of the strawberry and dip into the chocolate and swirl in chocolate to partially cover.

Give the strawberry a little shake as you take it out of the chocolate, let the excess drip off into the bowl, and then place the dipped berry on the cookie sheet lined with parchment. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries.

Set aside the berries to allow the chocolate to harden, about 30 minutes. Or you can place them in the refrigerator. Transfer fruit onto a serving platter to serve.

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Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

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