Strawberry Basil Chocolate Discs #SundaySupper

I was telling Joshua, my 27 year old, how excited I was to be working with Florida Strawberry again and that I was going to dehydrate my berries before making chocolate discs. Big Baby Boy, who loves time in the kitchen suggested adding basil to the mix which is how I decided on Strawberry Basil Chocolate Discs.

Sadly, Florida strawberry season is only December – April which means that there are a lot of months coming up that do not offer fresh berries kissed by the Sunshine State sun. Not to worry, though, because my Sunday Supper family is showcasing how to preserve Florida strawberries and then what to do with them once they are preserved, like making Strawberry Basil Chocolate Discs.

I love trying something new so I chose to dehydrate my strawberries. I do not have a device to do it for me but that wasn’t a problem because I figured out how to dehyrate them in the oven. Ok, so it took me a few times to get it just right but I loved all the strawberries I got to eat along the way.

I cooked the strawberries at 185° for 5 hours only to realize that they needed more time. Slicing the berries in half for smaller berries and thirds or quarters for larger berries is also imporant. One thing you don’t want to do is leave the berries in the oven once it’s turned off. I did that and woke up the next day to burned berries. Not good!

The winning timeline was between 6½ and 7½ hours, depending on the individual berries. Turn the berries over after 3½ hours of baking and switch them to a clean parchment sheet. Some berries will be out of the oven before others which is why there is such a big variance in timing. Once the berries are finished, place them on another baking sheet and cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

I love knowing that I will still be able to enjoy Florida Strawberries between May and November and the deydrated berries really pack a huge punch of flavor. More Strawberry Basil Chocolate Discs for everyone!

Strawberry Basil Chocolate Discs #SundaySupper

Recipe Type: Fruit

Cuisine: Dessert, Candy

Author: Betsy Cohen

Prep time: 35 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 13 discs

Dehydrating strawberries is a breeze to do but you need to allocate plenty of time to be around the house as the oven will be on for 6½-7½ hours.

Ingredients

1 quart Florida strawberries - you will need 16 dehydrated Florida strawberry slices for the recipe (instructions are for dehydrating a quart so you will have leftover dehydrated Florida strawberries to enjoy another time)
2 basil leaves, chopped
1 cup (199 grams) white chocolate, melted
1 cup (186 grams) semisweet chocolate, melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 185°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Wash and hull the strawberries. Slice small berries in half, larger berries into three or four slices. You do not want the slices to be too thin.
Pat the strawberries off with a paper towel and place them on one of the prepared baking sheets, making sure that they do not touch each other.
Bake for 3½ hours at 185°. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven. Turn the berries over and place on the second baking sheet.
Bake for another 4 hours.
Check the berries periodically and remove berries from the baking sheet once they are dehydrated, transferring them back to the original baking sheet (minus the parchment paper). Dehydrated berries will not feel moist to the touch.
Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue to bake the strawberries until all of them are dehydrated.
Cool completely before making Strawberry Basil Chocolate Discs.
Chop 12 slices of dehydrated strawberries and add to the melted white chocolate and set aside.
Add chopped basil to the melted semisweet chocolate and set aside.
Place a piece of parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
Drop a spoonful of semisweet chocolate onto the paper. Drop a spoonful of white chocolate onto the middle of the semisweet chocolate. Use a toothpick to swirl the two together.
Repeat until all of the chocolate has been used.
Chop the remaining 4 slices of dehydrated strawberries and sprinkle on top of the discs.
Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
Store in the freezer, wrapped in parchment paper and a plastic bag.

Notes

Additional time will be needed to dehydrate the strawberries and to freeze the discs once they are assembled. The portion size will vary depending on how large you make the discs. Add additional basil and/or dehydrated strawberries to taste.

For more information of the yumminess of Florida Strawberries, head over to their website. While you are at it, be sure to follow Florida Strawberry on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest as well as Strawberry Sue on YouTube and Twitter so you can stay up-to-date on everything happening in their very sweet world.

Ready for some more delicious recipes that feature preserved Florida Strawberries? Fantastic! Check out the ones my fellow Sunday Supper family members created.

How to Preserve Strawberries

The Sunday Supper Movement is committed to bringing our readers delicious recipes that encourage them to gather and eat together around the family table. Search for your favorite ingredients on our Sunday Supper website. Also check out the Sunday Supper Pinterest boards for plenty more ideas and inspiration.