Chocolate covered strawberries are turned into festive holiday treats with this fun twist - just some candy coating, sprinkles, and a store-bought cookie base and your strawberries are transformed into darling Christmas trees.
Rinse strawberries and gently pat them dry. Make a clean slice from the base of each strawberry to remove the stem and create a base for the bottom of the strawberry “tree.”
Place candy melts in the top pan of a double boiler. Heat over simmering water, stirring frequently, until candy melts are smooth. Remove from over the simmering water. Dry the bottom of the pan with a dishtowel.
Use a toothpick or fork to dip the strawberry into the candy melt mixture. Tap off the excess candy from the strawberry. Use a second fork to lift the strawberry from the dipping tool and onto the center of a cookie. You can also place a small dollop of the melted candy onto the center of the cookie before setting the cut side of the strawberry down.
Sprinkle nonpareils over the dipped strawberry and place a star on top before the candy hardens.
Reheat candy melts as needed to keep the mixture dippable.
Notes
Chocolate covered strawberry trees should be eaten the same day, preferably within a few hours. Dipped strawberries do not keep well. Also, if the strawberries are not fully coated in candy, the strawberry juice will eventually seep down into the cookie, making it soggy.
Instead of melting on the stovetop, you can also heat your candy melts in the microwave in 15-30 second intervals, stirring well between. Place the candy coating in a heat proof bowl. Be careful not to overheat them as the mixture will seize up and you’ll have to start over with a fresh batch.
Your candy melts will set very quickly so you will need to work fast to add your little stars, colorful lights, and other decorations. This is especially true if your strawberries are cold vs room temperature.
If you find that your strawberries are slipping off the toothpick while dipping in chocolate, make use of a fork instead.
Add a few drops of vegetable oil to your candy melts if you need to thin them out. Paramount Crystals are also a good option and you’ll usually find these at a cake/candy supply store or online.
Make sure that no water gets into contact with your candy melts otherwise they will seize up and you’ll need to start over with a new batch.
Candy melts are readily available at your local craft stores like Michael 's or Hobby Lobby. I've even found them at my grocery store and Amazon has some, too, if you can wait! I have also found star sprinkles at all of these locations.