Chocolate Covered Blueberries

Eugene has forbidden me from turning on the stove.

"NO," he warned, as a I contemplated a chocolate cake in the midst of the second heatwave in just as many weeks.

Plans thwarted, I turned to my no-cook chocolate dessert options. These Chocolate Covered Blueberries are the perfect quick summertime sweet. They take just a few minutes to make, with no need for an oven or even a stove!

You start off by washing the berries. I used a pint of fresh blueberries that I rinsed well under cold running water. You then need to dry them well in order to keep the chocolate smooth when you go to dip them.

I recommend washing the berries an hour or so in advance and letting them dry on a paper towel-lined baking sheet on your counter (or in the sun!)

Once the berries are dry, semi-sweet chocolate chips are melted until smooth in the microwave (about a minute, depending on your model) and thinned a bit with coconut oil or shortening. Then you just dip blueberries and spread them out on waxed paper. Pop them in the fridge for a few minutes to chill, and you have an incredible dessert.

Cold, chocolatey, and bursting with bright flavor. I love the way the dark chocolate shell cracks in your mouth to reveal the juicy berry inside! (Blueberries and dark chocolate are both filled with antioxidants so they're quite good for you, too.)

Keep these in the fridge for a cool post-dinner treat. They're wonderful on their own, but would also make an incredible topping for ice cream. You can also mix it up a bit and make a batch of chocolate covered raspberries, too.

****
New to Always Order Dessert? Consider subscribing to my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates by filling in your address in the box on the right. If you're in the NYC area, be sure to check out my NYC dinner party style cooking classes. Thanks for reading!  

Chocolate Covered Blueberries Recipe

Ingredients
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 bag (2 cups) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil or shortening (such as crisco)

Directions
Wash blueberries and then dry well by blotting and then spreading out on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and letting sit for about 1 hour. You want to make sure that no water is left on the outside of the berries as that will cause the chocolate to "seize" and not coat the berries well.

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with wax paper. Once the berries are dry, combine the chocolate and the coconut oil or shortening, and melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth, using a spoon to stir in between 30 seconds. Will typically take about 1 minute to 90 seconds total.

Add a few berries into the chocolate at a time and stir to coat, then place on the baking sheet with a spoon. You can place them individually or in small clumps of 2 to 5 for larger pieces. Repeat with rest of berries and chocolate.

Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set. Serve immediately and store any uneaten chocolates in an airtight bag in the fridge for up to 3 days.