There are so many great things about living in Los Angeles. In my 20′s I got to partake in a lot of them. My husband is a musician and we ran around with a very Music Industry crowd. Late nights, parties, back stage passes, Rock Stars, watching our friends become famous, blah, blah.
The best thing about California? The produce.
Seriously. If you ever visit LA, skip Hollywood Blvd (don’t worry, it sucks) and head for a farmers market. We have them nearly every single day of the year, with the exception of a few major holidays.
Tuesday in October? Head to Culver City or Silverlake. Thursday in February? There is a great one in Hollywood called Yamashiro.
And Strawberries are in season nearly all year. Did you know that California grows 50% of the produce for the entire United States? It also grows 75% of the produce for the Western side of Canada.
And, California has the best strawberries in the world. If you ever make it to California, put: “Eat a real California Strawberry” on your to do list. California grows 85% of the strawberries in the US.
I do realize that there is a chance that when that little ball game rolls around in a few weeks, (what’s it called again? The Super Bowl?) you might not live in a place as lucky as Strawberry-afornia or have access to these beauties year round. That’s OK, just tuck this idea away in your head and make them for a sports themed birthday party sometime over the summer.
Chocolate Strawberry Footballs
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
12-14 large strawberries
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
you will also need:
2 Coffee mugs
piping bag
#2 tip
Parchment paper
In a microwave safe coffee mug add the dark chocolate chips. I’ve found this to be the best vessel for strawberry dipping. If the bowl you use is too wide then the melted chocolate is too shallow, and it’s hard to get the strawberries dipped.
Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until melted. Don’t over heat or your chocolate will seize and there is really no coming back from that.
Grab the strawberry by the leaves.
Dip in the chocolate and swirl around carefully until coated.
Hold above the coffee mug for a few seconds to allow the excess to drip off.
Place on a sheet of parchment paper to dry.
Push forward slightly to avoid a pool of dried chocolate forming in the front of your berry.
Allow to dry for about 15 minutes.
In a separate coffee mug (or really, any microwave safe bowl will work for this), add the white chocolate. Microwave on high for 20 seconds and stir, repeat until melted. You have to be even more careful with white chocolate, it tends to seize quicker. It isn’t actually chocolate, its cocoa butter solids so it behaves differently. If it does seize, you can try and add a few drops of canola oil, but you might just need to toss it out and start over.
Pour the white chocolate into your piping bag. Pipe on a stripe at the top and one at the bottom of your strawberries.
Then pipe a line down the middle of the berry.
Then pipe 5 or 6 lines across the middle line.
Tips:
-Let the white chocolate cool a bit, but not harden, before piping. If it’s too hot, it’ll be really runny.
-When piping the lines, double back a bit to avoid the “strings” of white chocolate from dripping down the sides.
-Serve chilled
-Don’t make more that 24 hours in advance, strawberries tend to shrink a bit as they age.
These are so perfect for this time of year and delicious of course. I still have to get the nerve to just make plain chocolate dipped strawberries! The football version is so creative and they look amazing. With all the party experience, you have become so talented when it comes to party food and appetizers and this post is a great example of it. Well done and buzzed!
This Wisconsin girl is SO JEALOUS of your lovely produce and year-round Farmer’s Markets!!!
It’s seriously my favorite part of living here. If I ever move, I will miss it SO much!
We are ridiculously spoiled living in California. Most of the farmer’s markets by me are kind of pathetic, but LA isn’t far. I’ve always wanted to go to the Santa Monica farmer’s market. These may be the cutest strawberries I’ve ever seen.
Next time your in town, you should! Santa Monica is a bit higher priced because of where its at, but still great. They also have them twice a week.
These are adorable! I wish I could get strawberries that look like that. We have no such luck in the midwest in the winter!
These are super cute!
Those are ADORABLE! I love them…I totally want to make them for the big game (sniff, it’s just that strawberries aren’t in season!). Man, football should be in the summer or else, I should become rich.
I wish I could ship everyone a big tub of Strawberries! I totally forget that they aren’t in every grocery store like they are here in CA.
ohh GOSH!! I want to eat it righ now..!! too pretttyyy…!!!
These are fabulous!!! Pinned these beauties~
Thank you! I love it when my posts get pinned
I love everything about these!
OK those are cute. When we were in town we took every meal as an opportunity to have some of the freshest and best produce we have ever tasted. Ripe avocados? YES PLEASE!
Love the L.A. farmers markets. We finally have a few out here. Lovely strawberries and fabulous idea
These are just adorable. Such a brilliant idea.
These are the cutest little snacks I’ve ever seen. How creative!!
these looks really great and yummy!!
is there a trick to have the frosting retain the glossiness after they dry?
thanks
To really get a glossy finish on the dark chocolate, you need to temper it. Most people don’t do that, especially if you are going to decorat them, but it does make the look really professional! Read my post about the Bourbon Cherry Cordials, it teaches you how to temper chocolate.
I do love those farmers markets! I try to visit the one in Santa Monica whenever I visit my daughter. Your take on chocolate-dipped strawberries are amazing!
I just cannot get over your market. Even in summer ours are not that wonderful. SO jealous. These are so cute. I just keep coming back to look at them. Adorable!
I am SO jealous of your awesome music days and California location! I can’t wait to get out of the midwest, especially for the year round produce! California strawberries really are better. And your footballs are so cute! Great job!
It was fun for my 20′s but I’m glad I live a more “settled” life
Sounds like you have lots of time to travel around and have fun, that’s what your 20′s are for! Oh, and school and work, and friends and all that business too!
THAT IS SO GREAT!!! OMG
These are adorable! Possibly the only thing better than chocolate covered strawberries is themed chocolate covered strawberries. Seriously perfect
PS: So jealous of all your farmer’s markets!
Whatever time of year, I adore Straberries. Especially those which are covered in chocolate!
So for us Brits with the 6 Nations Rugby going on right now these are a perfectly quirky half time treat… Thank you.