Chocolate-covered Strawberry Christmas Tree Lights
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Jo and I both love chocolate-covered strawberries and this weekend we were brainstorming to see if we could come up with a fun new way to decorate them for Christmas. We soon realized that, with a little help from mini marshmallows, we could create chocolate-covered strawberries that look just like big, vintage, Christmas tree light bulbs. Let's go!
When you buy your strawberries try to pick medium-sized ones that are nice and round. You don't want giant, oblong strawberries, because they don't have the right shape. Make sure the strawberries are clean and completely dry, and then pull the green tops off. As tempting as it will be, DO NOT cut the tops off. I'll tell you why in a minute.
Now melt up some green candy melts and grab some mini marshmallows.
Dip the end of a mini marshmallows in the chocolate, just getting a little bit on the end, and attach it to the top of a strawberry. (By the way, this step is why you shouldn't cut the top of the strawberry off. If you had, then the moisture from the strawberry's insides would prevent the chocolate from sticking. And yes, I learned this lesson the hard way!)
Let the strawberries sit until the chocolate is completely hardened. If you're impatient, a few minutes in the fridge will speed this along.
When the chocolate is hardened, dip the top of the strawberry into more melted green chocolate so that the marshmallow is completely coated. Let a little of the chocolate go onto the strawberry as well.
Set them on some wax paper and once again, let them sit until the chocolate is completely hardened, then pick them up carefully by the marshmallow end and get ready to dip.
Dip the strawberries into a bowl full of melted candy malts (I used blue, red, and orange) in small bowls, and dip the strawberries. You'll want to hold on to the green cap carefully, and make sure the colored chocolate comes all the way up to the edge of the cap.
Place the dipped strawberries on wax paper to harden. As you set each one down, make sure it's sitting nice and level. If not, hold it in place for 30 seconds or so until the chocolate hardens enough to support it. This will make the lights look nicer when you place them on a serving platter.
When it comes to serving these chocoalte-covered strawberry Christmas lights, I like to start by putting them in a circle on a round platter.
Then, to decorate the platter, I put some more melted green chocolate into a disposable icing bag fitted with a round tip and pipe the chocolate onto the edges of the platter, swirling it around so it looks like the cord from a string of lights.
And there you have it — chocolate-covered strawberries made to look like traditional Christmas tree lights. These are perfect for serving on their own or for topping a cake or cupcakes. The only difficult thing now will be convincing your friends that even though they are so cute, it's still okay to eat them.
15 comments so far:
Why didn't I think of that...Great idea ~
Great idea! Very Cute and creative! Thank you
I also saw somewhere that you can dip the strawberries in chocolate and cover with sprinkles. I can't wait to try some of these!
I can not wait to try these. They will be a big hit.
Love this idea!!
I want to make this for my Christmas theme party at school, (even though it's past Christmas), if my group wants to do it. :)
That was the most decorative thing that I've ever seen. I love the idea. That was amazing. I loved that thing that is beautiful.
I love the lights out of strawberries and love ideas I can do with my kids. My sons birthday is also Christmas so we try and do alittle extra things for him
These are so cute!! Thank you
Would love to try this with my grandkids.
Windy, that's a great idea! If you share online, tag us @chicaandjo so we can see how they came out.
I wonder if a Rolo candy could be used in place of the marshmallow. I love this idea.
Tammy, I think a Rollo would be far too large, and possibly too heavy. If you try it out, let us know how it goes!
What is the best way to store them? I want to make a day ahead.
Cary, that's a tough one! While the strawberries themselves would do well stored in the fridge, the chocolate will not fare as well there with the moisture the fridge provides. Make them as late as you can, and perhaps store them in a cool place?