Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients

• 1 quart strawberries
• 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chips
• 1 tablespoon butter-flavored shortening
• 1/2 cup shelled, chopped unsalted pistachio nuts

Instructions

1. Wash strawberries and thoroughly pat dry. Set on paper-towel lined tray while preparing chocolate.
2. Melt chocolate and shortening in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir chocolate until smooth.
3. Grasp each strawberry by stem end. Dip strawberry 3/4 of the way into melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off.
4. Place coated berries on foil-lined tray and immediately sprinkle lightly with pistachios. (Use one hand to dip berries; the other to sprinkle nuts.)
5. When all strawberries have been dipped, refrigerate tray until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes.

Notes

These will last about two days.

Ribbon-Laced Strawberry Basket

• 1 1/2 yards each of 5/8 inch wide satin ribbon in 3 different pastel colors
• 1-quart strawberry basket
• Clear cellophane
• Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

1. Cut a 1/2 yard piece from each ribbon and reserve for tying cellophane. Take 1 yard of ribbon and weave in and out of one row of basket slats, starting and ending at same corner. Repeat with 2 more ribbons and 2 more rows. Tie each row with a bow.
2. Carefully remove strawberries from foil, and gently pile into basket. Braid 3 remaining 1/2 yard lengths of ribbon and knot each end. Cut braid in half, and knot cut ends. Cut about one yard of cellophane and wrap tube-style around basket. Keep basket centered and tape seam under basket. Seal each end piece of ribbon braid. Trim ends of cellophane with pinking shears and spread out. Keep strawberries refrigerated.