Ring in the new year with classic chocolate dipped strawberries!  Sweet, luscious strawberries covered with rich semi-sweet chocolate and just a drizzle of white chocolate will definitely complement any champagne toast.  These beautiful strawberries can even be made year-round for a delicious, homemade gift for others or a delectable dessert for yourself!

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
32 large strawberries
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
4 oz. white chocolate
1 tbsp. vegetable shortening (optional)

Instructions:
1) Melt semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler by adding the chocolate to the top of the double boiler.  If you don’t have a double boiler, you can  place a light, non-plastic bowl set over a pot of lightly steaming water. The steam will slowly melt the chocolate above.  Make sure not to put the bottom of the bowl (holding the chocolate) in contact with the steaming or boiling water, which will cause the chocolate to burn.
2) Stirring constantly, move the chocolate around until it begins to melt.
3) Dip the strawberries in the chocolate and lay to harden on a sheet of parchment paper (about 10 minutes).
4) Using the double boiler method, melt the white chocolate in a clean bowl.
5) Transfer melted white chocolate into a plastic food bag.  Make a small snip at one end of the bag.
6) Drizzle white chocolate over the strawberries to make any design you like.
7) Set aside strawberries to harden (about 5 minutes).  Transfer to plate and serve.

Tips:
If the melted white chocolate needs to be thinned out for drizzling, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening (such as Crisco) to the melted chocolate.  Stir and check to make sure that it is the desired consistency.