I have a major sweet tooth. I LOVE
sweets! Growing up in a country where eating dessert after dinner is not
customary, I’ve always had an affinity towards sweeter snacks. One of the fond
memories of my childhood is asking my parents if we could stop by Baskin
Robbins for a scoop of Jamoca ice cream everytime we were at the mall.
I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Where my parents are from (Semarang, a city in Central Java), the flavor
profile of the food is towards the sweeter side. I think people from that
region generally have an affinity towards sweeter food, so a lot of the cooking
incorporates naturally sweeter ingredients or natural sweetener such as palm
sugar. I think my sweet tooth is a genetic trait my parents have graciously
passed down to me.
After moving to America and
discovering that there is an endless possibility and wide variety of dessert,
my affinity is magnified. I like almost all kinds of sweets: cakes, cookies,
ice cream, custards, puddings, chocolates, you name it. However, in keeping
with my 2015 resolution, I am trying to make or eat more desserts or sweets
that are fruity, because fruits are good for you. Yes, I will still be eating
sweets and desserts, because I am a big believer in “everything in moderation.”
Cold turkey everything never works for me; cutting sweets and desserts out of
my diet only makes me crave them more.
I have always loved warm apple pie
with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, but one of my favorite fruity desserts has
to be chocolate covered strawberries! In my opinion, it is the best combination
after donuts and coffee, oreos and milk, and PB&J. It is not quite the peak
season for strawberries yet, but in light of recent hallmark holiday, Valentine’s
day, I was inspired to make them. Yes, I made them after the holiday, and no, the
husband and I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s day. We have always been more
practical and less mainstream – eating out on Valentine’s day is not only more
expensive, but the quality of the food is usually also not up to par. So, the
day after V-day, I went out and got myself some strawberries, and here is how I
made the treat.
Wash and thoroughly dry the
strawberries – the melted chocolate won’t stick if the strawberries are wet. Insert
skewers to make it easier to dip them in chocolate.
Melt some chocolate chips in a double
boiler (or use a small pot filled with an inch of water, then place a metal
bowl above it and fill with the chocolate chips until melted) then dip the
strawberries in the melted chocolate. Place strawberries on parchment paper or
non-stick baking mat.
Decorate with sprinkles and enjoy!
