Sweet Summer Treats

Since moving to Germany I decided to join a book club. It is with the ladies I work with and we keep it relatively casual and as an excuse to get together, have some nice food and chats away from the work environment. We also actually talk about the book!

Each person brings a food dish and it makes for the most lovely evening. This week I decided to bring dessert. The weather is warm here and there are so many strawberry farms near by I thought Chocolate covered strawberries would be perfect. Cheap, easy and healthy to boot. They went down an absolute treat with all in attendance! Here's how you can do the same:

Ingredients:
60%+ Dark chocolate (I usually use 75-80%)
Strawberries
Desicated Coconut
Chia Seeds
Drop of Olive Oil

Method:

First you need to prepare your strawberries. Wash them well, leaving the stalks intact. Allow them to dry completely or pat dry with kitchen paper or a towel. Any moisture will prevent the chocolate from sticking.

Using a metal pan on low heat break the  chocolate into pieces and melt with 2-3 drops of oil. The oil allows you more time to work with the chocolate and also gives it a lovely sheen.

As the chocolate is melting stir every few seconds to prevent it burning. You can also melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a metal pan with the base covered in water this is known as the bain marie method.

As the chocolate is melting prepare a tray or plate with some grease proof paper. Have the strawberries near by and get two small bowls filled with your toppings. Here I used dedicated coconut and chia seeds. Other options are crushed nuts, ground goji berries, almond flakes, crushed pistachios or orange zest. Equally you can just serve them with plain chocolate.

Using the green stalks as a hand hold dip the chocolate into the pan of melted chocolate covering as much as possible. Immediately dip the berry in the topping of your choice. Place on their side on the greaseproof tray and allow to cool.

These are best served from the fridge on a warm summers day.

The perfect quick, healthy and tasty end to a summer's meal.

Prep Time:
Less than 5 minutes!

Dietary Information:
Gluten Free

Wheat free

Sugar Free 

Paleo 

Vegetarian

Nuts are packed with good fats, omega 3s (brain food) minerals and vitamins.

Chia seeds are full of protein, antioxidants and make you fell full for longer.

Dark Chocolate is packed with anti-oxidants and helps lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind).

Storage Instructions:

These can be made in advance and when cool stored in a sealed container or frozen. 

You don't have to use just strawberries. Sliced Banana is also good and looks wonderful with lots of different toppings.

Enjoy!