The frustrating thing about chocolate is...

... it's delicious. And difficult to do well. Here's what I've learned:

1) Add butter to the melted chocolate to improve the consistency for dipping. 

2) Toppings are delicious and add variety (ever seen Shari's Berries? Good source of inspiration). Also use different types of chocolate, like dark and white chocolate. 

3) Keep your chocolate-dipped creations in the fridge, especially when you are OCD, like me. Just try to keep the moisture level down in the fridge, and wipe off any condensation that appears. 

4) Buy twice as many wrappers as you think you need, some will get messed up. 

5) White chocolate does not like to cooperate. My white chocolate would not stay melted for more than 15 seconds, and then I had to stir it again vigorously. From all the forums I read, there is a small consensus that Trader Joe's makes the most meltable white chocolate. Also see rule #1. 

6) Keep the double boiler dry and free of excess water - any extra water or moisture can affect the chocolate's melted consistency.

I learned all this after spending almost three hours on my Valentine's Day making chocolate-covered strawberries. I thought I couldn't go wrong with a recipe from Martha Stewart, but even she could not save me from chocolate peril.

Most advice on the subject said that chocolate-covered strawberries should be eaten within the first 24 hours, and are best when eaten the same day. Martha Stewart added the caveat that strawberries should not be left in the refrigerator for more than an hour, or they will collect "condensation drops". I diligently timed my strawberries for 15 minutes in the fridge, and I still ended up with condensation. 

The next question was where to store the strawberries. My house runs around 78 to 80 degrees in the winter, which did not seem like the ideal temperature. Someone suggested I leave them in my car, where it might be cold but not too cold. It would have been a great idea, except that I parked on the roof of the parking garage, and my car became a winter greenhouse. 

Here's how it went down. It was 3:30 PM. I was eager to drive home and get ready for my Valentine's Day dinner. I stole a peak at my lovingly-made strawberries in the back seat of my car, and I smelled ripe fruit. The strawberries had leaked juice into their wrappers and the white chocolate had melted completely off. In a panic, I drove home, trying to come up with an action plan. At home, I carefully replaced the soiled wrappers, threw out the hopeless causes, replaced them with some of the less attractive leftovers, and chilled the strawberries for the next two hours. They looked better, but still very sad compared to their former glory. 

The good part is there was still a happy ending - my boyfriend gobbled them up the following night, proclaiming them "delicious". I guess it was worth the effort after all :)

Chocolate-covered Strawberries

Ingredients

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

6 ounces dark chocolate chips

6 ounces white chocolate chips

1-2 tablespoons butter

2 quarts large strawberries, washed and dried well
Unsweetened shredded coconut

Sprinkles

Directions

1) Place chocolate in a double boiler. Stir occasionally, until melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add in 1-2 teaspoons of butter and mix to desired consistency. Between each type of chocolate, carefully wash the double boiler and wipe dry in between uses.

2) Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. One at a time, dip each strawberry in chocolate, twirling to coat; then sprinkle chocolate-covered portion with toppings, if using, and place on waxed paper.
3) Chill chocolate-dipped strawberries at least 15 minutes to set chocolate. 

Allergens: milk, soy, tree nuts

Nutrition (1/45 recipe, ~1 strawberry): 69 calories, 4 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 4 mg sodium, 53 mg potassium, 9 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 1 g protein, 0% vitamin A, 30% vitamin C, 1% calcium, 3% iron