Personal Chef Deborah Lee Walker is in the DelmarvaLife kitchen to show us how to make a strawberry tower for Valentine’s Day.
Strawberry Tower
Ingredients
2 pounds fresh strawberries
2 trays of chocolate flavored CandiQuik
wax paper
1 (11-inch x 4-inch) Styrofoam cone
plastic wrap
bamboo skewers
straight pins
3 bunches mini carnations
powdered sugar or real gold dust
toppings of your choice such as crushed pistachios, pretzels, and coconut
1. Wash strawberries and allow to dry thoroughly. It is important that the
strawberries do not have any moisture on them; otherwise, the chocolate
will not adhere to the strawberries properly.
2. Remove chocolate trays from the packaging. Microwave according to
instructions.
3. Dip the strawberries in the CandiQuik and swirl so the strawberries are mostly
covered. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. If you want to coat
the strawberries with toppings, apply a light coating while the chocolate is soft.
Refrigerate strawberries for 1 hour, this will allow the chocolate to obtain a hard
exterior.
4. Wrap cone in plastic wrap, do not place strawberries directly on the Styrofoam.
5. Start forming your tree from the base of the cone. Insert a bamboo skewer
through the upper portion of the strawberry and then push the skewer through
the cone at a 45-degree angle facing upward, otherwise the strawberry will slip
off. Snip the bamboo skewer with a clean pair of pruning shears. Repeat this
process with another strawberry. At that point, you will see a little bit of the
cone showing in between the two strawberries. You will want to fill this space
with a mini carnation.
6. Insert a straight pin into the base of the flower. Then place it in between the
two strawberries and push the pin into the cone. When the straight pin is
completely inserted into the cone, the flower will shift and face outwards.
7. Continue this process until the tree is completely covered. Refrigerate the tree
until ready to serve.
8. Presentation – Place the tree on a sturdy, decorative plate and garnish with
powdered sugar or edible gold dust.
