Chocolate Covered Fruit Ghosts Food

STRAWBERRY GHOSTS

Steps:

• Wash strawberries and gently pat with paper towels until completely dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening at 50% power; stir until smooth. Stir in extract. , Dip strawberries in chocolate mixture; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, allowing excess chocolate to form the ghosts' tails. Immediately press chocolate chips into coating for eyes. Freeze 5 minutes., In microwave, melt remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Dip a toothpick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each ghost. Refrigerate leftovers.

HALLOWEEN CHOCOLATE-COVERED STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• For the monsters: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Put the candy wafers in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally once the wafers soften, until smooth. If the candy starts to reharden or seize up, stir in a teaspoon or so of coconut oil or shortening and stir again until smooth.
• Spread the sanding sugar in a small shallow bowl. Gather a strawberry at the leaves and dip into the melted candy, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Gently press the coated strawberry in the sugar, coating it completely (don't press too hard or you'll get too much sugar on the strawberry). Set leaf-side down on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining strawberries. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes, keeping the remaining melted candy warm in the double boiler.
• Spread a tiny bit of the remaining melted candy on the back of 2 candy eyeballs and press them on near the tip of the strawberry. Meanwhile, if you'd like to make mouths on your monsters, melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe mouths onto the monsters. Let sit until eyes and mouths are set, about 10 minutes.
• For the ghosts: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Put the candy wafers in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally once the wafers soften, until smooth. If the candy melts start to reharden or seize up, stir in a teaspoon or so of coconut oil or shortening and stir again until smooth.
• Gather a strawberry at the leaves and dip into the melted candy, letting some but not all of the excess drip back into the bowl. Set leaf-side up on the prepared baking sheet, letting the excess melted candy pool into the front to create the bottom of the ghost. Repeat with the remaining strawberries. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the black candy wafers or chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave, following the microwave instructions on the package if using candy wafers. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Once the white candy has set, pipe small ovals for the nose and eyes on each ghost and let set 10 to 15 minutes.
• For the pumpkins: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Put the candy wafers in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally once the wafers soften, until smooth. If the candy starts to reharden or seize up, stir in a teaspoon or so of coconut oil or shortening and stir again until smooth.
• Gather a strawberry at the leaves and dip into the melted candy, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Set leaf-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining strawberries. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, transfer the remaining orange melted candy to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Once the coating on the strawberries has hardened, pipe vertical lines from top to bottom for the ribs on a pumpkin. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.
• Melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe eyes, mouths and noses on the pumpkins to resemble jack-o'-lanterns and let set 10 to 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED FRUIT GHOSTS

Steps:

• Dip apple slices, 1 at a time, in white chocolate; place in single layer on parchment-covered baking sheet. Repeat with strawberries and remaining white chocolate.
• Add 2 chocolate chips to each "ghost" for the eyes.
• Refrigerate 1 hour or until chocolate is firm.

CHOCOLATE COVERED FRUIT

Steps:

• Peel oranges and separate into sections.
• Wrap sections in plastic wrap so they do not dry out.
• Rinse strawberries under cold running water, do not remove the stems.
• Pat berries completely dry with paper towels.
• Set fruit aside.
• Fruit should be at room temperature for dipping.
• Place peanuts in a small bowl.
• Into a double boiler top, not over water, grate semi sweet chocolate squares.
• Set candy thermometer in place, set aside.
• Heat water to boiling in double boiler bottom; remove from heat.
• Place double boiler top over hot water; melt chocolate, stirring constantly with rubber spatula, until temperature reaches 130 degrees.
• Immediately discard hot water from double boiler bottom and refill with cold water to come one-third of the way up the side of the double boiler.
• Set top in place and cool chocolate, stirring constantly, until chocolate temperature reaches 83 degrees.
• Remove double boiler top and replace cold water in bottom with warm water (about 85 degrees).
• This will keep the chocolate and dipping consistency longer.
• With fingers, hold one piece of fruit at a time and dip it into chocolate, leaving part of fruit uncovered.
• Shake off excess chocolate or gently scrape one side of fruit to remove excess.
• Place on waxed paper.
• Working quickly, stir peanuts into leftover chocolate in pan.
• Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper.
• Let chocolate covered fruit and peanut clusters stand until chocolate is set (about 10 minutes) before removing from waxed paper.
• Serve dipped fresh fruit same day.
• Store peanut clusters in tightly covered container; use within one week.
• Note: Chocolate can be easily melted in the microwave as well.
• Break chocolate into chunks and microwave in increments of 20-30 seconds, stirring in between each session.