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 | Print |
- 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
- 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.
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
Canning
- Chocolate Strawberry Cream Whoopie Pies by Soulfully Made
- Homemade Strawberry Pie Filling by Flour On My Face
- Strawberry Kiwi Crumb Bars by Pies and Plots
- Strawberry Mint Shrub Drink by My Life Cookbook
- Strawberry-Banana Jam French Toast with Strawberry Butter by Authentically Candace
Dehydrating
- Make-Ahead Quick Oatmeal with Dehydrated Strawberries by Simple and Savory
- Strawberry Basil Chocolate Discs by Desserts Required
- Strawberry Cacao Crunch by Wholistic Woman
- Strawberry Coconut Granola using Dehydrated Strawberries by My Sweet Savings
- Strawberry Marshmallows using Dehydrated Strawberries by Recipes Food and Cooking
Freezing
- Strawberry Banana Acai Bowls by Family Foodie
- Strawberry Chutney Baked Brie by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Strawberry Lemonade Blondies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Strawberry, Thyme, and Goat Cheese Hand Pies by Casa de Crews
Pickling
- Cod Tacos with Pickled Strawberry Slaw by Caroline’s Cooking
- Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini with Vanilla Pickled Strawberries by Books n’ Cooks
- Pickled Strawberry Cocktail by Sunday Supper Movement
- Quick Pickled Strawberry Salad by Helpful Homemade
- Strawberry Fizz Cocktail by Hardly A Goddess
- Yogurt Parfait with Pickled Strawberries by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
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.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
This post is sponsored by Florida Strawberry in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.
I’m going to try dehydrating strawberries in the oven. I do like to add strawberry taste to dishes! Chocolate + strawberries + basil = deliciousness!
Cindy,
It really is a breeze to deydrate strawberries in the oven. You just need to have the hours to hang around the house! 🙂
They are TOTALLY worth the time put in and these discs really are magical.
<3
Love the idea of these flavorful chocolate discs!
Thanks so much, Caroline. The flavors work beautifully together.
Love these swirled discs! So tasty with the addition of berries and basil!
Nikki,
The berries and basil really do make these discs shine! 🙂
They look like perfect little bites of deliciousness. Great snacks for the work in the afternoon.
They are perfect when you are craving something fabulous!! 😉
What a delicious flavor combination! I love strawberries and chocolate together and strawberries and basil but never thought to combine all 3. They look wonderful!
I mean….seriously?! You had me at basil! This is a beautiful dessert!
Thanks so much, Nichole. The basil really did wonders but then again, those deydrated Florida strawberries are da bomb!!
Great flavors and they look so cool!
Barrie,
Thanks so much. It was fun to mix things up a bit! <3