Chocolate Berry Boats

1. Wash the berries and dry them thoroughly. It’s important that they are not wet, or else they can cause the chocolate to seize. Cut the stems off the tops of the strawberries.

2. Temper the chocolate.

3. Place candy cups on a baking sheet. Spoon half an ounce (about 2 teaspoons) of chocolate into the candy cups. Try to avoid smearing the sides of the cups with chocolate—the goal is to produce a chocolate candy that is as round and uniform as possible. Repeat with remaining cups and chocolate.

4. Place the baking sheet with the chocolate cups in the refrigerator to partially set. Check every 2 minutes. The chocolate should set enough to support the weight of the berries, but should be wet enough so that the berries can be partially pushed into the chocolate.

5. Once the chocolate has reached the right consistency, place one berry in the center of each chocolate cup and press in slightly. Allow to set fully in the refrigerator.

6.Once the chocolate hardens completely, carefully peel away the paper candy cups. The boats are best served the day they are made, but with very fresh berries can be prepared a day in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.