Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Cherries are Cupid's pick for Romantic Gifts.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Cherries make succulent deluxe gourmet gifts that are dripping with hot romance. If you're looking for a gift to tug at your girlfriend's, wife's, boyfriend's, or husband's heart strings, then this is the gift I would choose. Combine a box of either one of these charming gifts with a single red rose and don't be surprised if she gives you that cute, puppy-dog-eye look. You can order some of the best deluxe quality boxes online or if you'd really like to impress him or her than make them yourself.

Just to give you an idea just how effective this gift is, my cousin recently told me he used to make these for his ex-girlfriend every Valentine's Day and she called him on the first one that they weren't together to ask him if he could make them for her again. She never forgot.

Check out these simple chocolate covered strawberries and cherries recipes below for some homemade gifts. Or if you'd just like to purchase some chocolate covered strawberries or chocolate covered cherries , then check out what widely popular Sheri's Berries has to offer. They're definetly worth a look.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

This is an easy recipe to follow since you can use the microwave. For more accuracy of creating smooth chocolate I would recommend using a double-boiler. It gives good details on how to dry and dip the strawberries.

• 20 large fresh strawberries, with stems left intact
• 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

1. Line a baking sheet or cookie pan with waxed paper.
2. Wash the strawberries and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels; set aside. NOTE: Make sure the strawberries are completely dry. Any water at all can ruin the chocolate. The strawberries must be at room temperature before dipping in chocolate, any condensation will not allow the chocolate to stick.
3. Microwave Melting Chocolate:

   In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips using either the “defrost” setting or 10-percent power in the microwave.

   Microwave for 1 minute, then check and stir. If you need more time, do it in 10-20 second intervals and check and stir after each addition of microwave time. Remove the container from the microwave and stir the chocolate until completely melted. Baking chips and baking chocolate may appear formed and un-melted after heating but will become fluid after stirring.

4. How to Dip: Grasp the stem or green leaves of the strawberry and dip into the chocolate and swirl in chocolate to partially cover. Give the strawberry a little shake as you withdraw it from the chocolate (this will fill in all the cracks and leave a nice even line of of chocolate at the base.) When the strawberry is completely withdrawn from the chocolate, swirl it in a quick, clockwise motion to let the excess chocolate drip off. Place on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries.
5. Either place strawberries into refrigerator or set aside to allow the chocolate to harden, about 30 minutes.

Want some other fresh gourmet chocolate covered gift ideas ? Check out what Audrey Okaneko does. Thank you Audrey!

How 'bout another very unique candy gift idea of chocolate covered strawberry fudge?

How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries (a pictorial guide)

Here are the basic ingredients to make chocolate covered strawberries. You can either use the double boiler to melt the chocolate, but here I will use the microwave.

Place semi-sweet chocolate chips in small microwavable bowl.

Add some cooking oil to chips then put them in microwave for one minute. Chips will still look mostly whole like shown above, but willl show some signs of melting. Stir until liquid in form. Some chips will still need to be melted a little more. Place back in microwave for a 10-second interval. Stir until completely liquid.

TIP: For a large batch of chocolate covered strawberries melt half of the chips at a time. You don't want melted chocolate to sit for too long. Finish the first half of chips before doing the second half.

Dip strawberries into small glass bowl or coffee mug. If the container you dip into is too wide you won't be able to submerge the strawberries. Some prefer strawberries to be covered only three-quarters of the way or you can completely cover them except for the stem.

Either shake off the excess chocolate with a small salad fork or toothpick. Insert either one only about one-third the way in from the top. Twirl clockwise so that chocolate flows down strawberry and covers it evenly.

TIP: Chocolate must remain shiny while dipping the strawberries. If it becomes dull in color that means it is starting to thicken. I add little oil to the bowl of chocolate, place in microwave for 10 seconds, remove then stir until shiny and smooth again. If the chocolate is still not smooth enough than return it to microwave for additional 10 seconds and add oil as needed until it is ready.

Let the strawberries cool on a baking sheet covered in wax paper.

If you desire to add toppings then dip the strawberries into a small bowl fillled with your desired candy or nuts. You can also sprinkle them on top of the strawberries sitting on the baking sheet.

If you wish to drizzle white chocolate onto the dark chocolate then first splash some melted white chocolate onto one side of the cooled dark chocolate with a fork or wire whisk. Let white chocolate cool in refrigerator. Then splash other side of the strawberries.

Another deluxe candy gift being packed for delivery.

TIP: Be creative and place finished strawberries in a small decorative gift bag or box with bows shortly before delivering chocolate covered gift. Many stationary shops should have these articles. The bag or box could be lined with gift wrap of any color and the strawberries themselves should be in a presentable plastic bag. Keep cool inside insulated carrying case with blue ice packs during delivery.

Chocolate Dipped Cherries

• 60 maraschino cherries with stems
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 pound chocolate confectioners' coating

1. Drain cherries and set on paper towels to dry.
2. In a medium bowl, combine butter and corn syrup until smooth. Stir in confectioners' sugar and knead to form a dough. Chill to stiffen if necessary. Wrap each cherry in about 1 teaspoon of dough. Chill until firm.
3. Melt confectioners' coating in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Dip each cherry in by its stem, and place on waxed paper lined sheets. Chill until completely set. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Best to eat within one week.

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