This was some of the most fun I have had in the baking department, I’m not sure if it was more because it involves a wedding, or because it involves food. I am also clueless as to what inspired me to make a tuxedo and wedding dress-strawberry dipped couple, but at least I can say I am glad I now know how to do it. I know I have seen the strawberry tuxedo at an event, or at a wedding and thought it was the coolest thing. A little search on the Internet helped me out. And you know me, I can’t ever take all the credit, thanks to a website called weddingbeepro, I was able to learn the secrets on chocolate dipped tuxedo & wedding dress strawberries.
So, on a Wednesday night, after purchasing some tasty plump red strawberries from Trader Joe’s, I thought what better way to use this idle time and some strawberries than for a wedding dessert? Who knows why that’s on my mind. I would consider the night a success except for I didn’t have any real tasters to gather criticism from. At least they looked pretty I thought. So, below are some pictures of my attempt to dress five strawberries from stem to tip. By the end of it, I was a little frightened because I had personified them just a bit too much, that if you walked in the kitchen you would believe I was clothing, well, people. Crazy, yes, but that’s what a little painstaking work does to you I guess. Hope you enjoy the journey at least half as much as I did, and if you plan to get married soon, well, maybe you would be crazy enough to want some chocolate-dipped tuxedo & wedding dress strawberries from me (Gosh, there has to be a simpler way to name them, any clever suggestions?) I do?
I decided to make the presentation as soft as I could, in hopes of invoking romantic feelings, and smooth sailings into marriage. I did this with cream, but the nest needs work because it looks too sharp and needs to be smooth.
From top to bottom in describing the dish, the couple is nestled on a pillow of whipped cream, on a nest of crispy and light filo dough. The filo dough was briefly baked with a small amount of butter to give a slightly salty flavor, but not overbearing-just in the right balance to the sweetness. I mounted the filo dough nest on another pillow of whipped cream, but this time topped with some strawberry glaze for some added sweetness. I finished the dish with slices of strawberries that were arranged at the base of the nest, tucked away, to hide the red passion that would soon be uncovered. Honeymoon?
The taste was nice but a bit too simple for a wedding. People want indulgence, be it rich chocolate, rich creams, or both, and this dessert was probably too fruity for the proper indulgence. Next time, much more chocolate needs to be added, perhaps replacing the filo dough nest, with a dark chocolate nest, and adding a variety of berries for color and tartness to contrast the dark chocolate. I am just happy that this is a start for more elaborate wedding desserts to come.
First, I made the filo dough nests. I greased a muffin tin, and layered it with square pieces of filo, brushing with melted butter. Then, I baked them for about 10 minutes, until they were golden brown and crispy. I set these aside to fix the berries.
Second, I tempered (melted) the white chocolate. I did this by placing it in a small glass bowl and setting it in hot water, because direct heat can easily burn the chocolate.
After washing the strawberries and drying them thoroughly, I dipped one side of the berry into the white chocolate. In order for the white chocolate to set and dry, I placed them on wax paper on a plate and in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
Then, I tempered the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Once the white chocolate set on the berries, I dipped two sides of the berry in the melted semi-sweet chocolate, to form a “V” for the tuxedos. The brides did not need any dipping and stayed pearly white.
Then the artisan part came in. I retrieved two sandwich ziploc bags and cut the corners off to form “fluting bags” (not sure if that is official) to pipe out the white and semi-sweet chocolate. This way I could make the bow ties and buttons for the grooms, and the pearl and lace for the brides.
Finally, I tried to make a fancy presentation for the couple and found that fluffy whipped cream would be the most fitting. I arranged the berries in the filo dough nest with some whipped cream, and then berries underneath.
I used whipped cream and a touch of strawberry glaze to stabilize the nest on the plate. In the end, it might have looked pretty fancy, but I know it was just a start for better deserts to come.
And they lived happily ever after.
