20-30 medium sized strawberries
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 tbsp. shortening (Crisco)

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

1/2 to 1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup your choice of nuts (finely chopped)
1 cup toffee (finely chopped, may use a heath bar or similar instead)
1 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 to 1 cup dark chocolate chips
you can also use any candies, sprinkles etc. that you like!

Start by setting out a cookie sheet with wax paper.

Take a glass bowl, and add the milk chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave for approximately 1-2 minutes on medium (check periodically, and stir to avoid burning it). Once it melt and becomes a creamy texture, you are ready to go!

If you are using toppings, put them in shallow dishes (I use a pie dish) so that they are ready to be used. And if you are coating any in dark or white chocolate, heat those as well in a glass bowl, what's left can be reheated when it's time to decorate.

Take your strawberries (some people use forks, or the little sticks for corn on the cob for this, but I just grab them by the stem so I don't put holes) and dip each strawberry in the milk chocolate (you can do a few in the white or dark also!), making sure to cover as much as possible (but don't cover the leaves).

IF YOU ARE COATING THEM IN NUTS/CANDY/SPRINKLES READ: (IF NOT SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH)

Roll each strawberry in the toppings of your choice, I do about 4 strawberries in each topping. Make sure they are pretty evenly coated, and place on the cookie sheets.

Set them on the wax paper. Do this with all of the strawberries. Once they are hardened (approximately 15 to 20 minutes) take them out and set them in your work space.

Now it's time to decorate!

Take your white or dark chocolate (if necessary reheat to get it creamy again) you can also add coloring to the white to make it a little more fun! Put the chocolate in either a piping bag with a fine tip, or a Ziploc bag will work (just do a very small hole) and drizzle on your strawberries! You can just do it basic, or do designs, shapes, etc. Do the same with the other chocolate.

Don't be afraid to get creative!

Submitted by: Hope Kundert