Easiest Way to Make Your Own Chocolate Covered Mangos

In my last blog, I talked about the additives that are in the chocolate covered fruits that are out in the market. Just as a reminder, it wasn't until quite recently the demand for a health-conscious foods surfaced.  There is still lots of information about nutrition that we are only just beginning to learn.

Up until now, we had been misinformed about a lot of things about diet to benefit the larger corporations. This is simply another opportunity for someone like myself to share the ways or offer a solution. This is how we continue to evolve, and we’re always evolving. 

In this blog, I’d like to show you how to make chocolate dipped anything with rich dark chocolate. These sets of instructions are for you, fellow chocolate sweet tooth, so that you can treat yourself to an intensely engaging moment - wholesome chocolate covered fruits. This is self-care time at its best-- preparation of food for yourself and then the act of treating yourself.

Just a heads up, chocolate can be very temperamental so stay as close to the recipe as possible without cutting corners and it may take a few tries to get it perfect every single time. Once you get it though, it is autopilot all the time! It’s such an awesome trick to have up your kitchen sleeve! :)

Below are my instructions on how you can make your own chocolate dipped apricots (or anything dippable) at home! Are you ready?

Level: Intermediate

You will need:

• a cool kitchen
• small-ish stainless steel or heat-safe glass mixing bowl 
• medium saucepan (bowl should fit snugly over it)
• infrared thermometer (these are the most sanitary and accurate way to measure chocolate temperature)
• dark chocolate (500g will do for a small batch)
• I like to use Santa Barbara Chocolate’s Coconut Palm Sweetened Chocolate, which is around 63%. To dilute from sweet dark chocolate to a higher cocoa content, mix with 100% chocolate. You can pretty much achieve any percentage you want this way. Darker is better! We get all the sweetness from the fruits anyway!
• Desired amount of dried mangos (or anything dippable)
• I like to get my organic dried mangos from a health food store or Food to Live. Be sure to look at the ingredients-- ideally, it would be a single ingredient: no added sugar, colorant, or sulfur dioxide. We don’t need that stuff in our bodies.
• For fresh fruit like strawberries: Wash fruit and dry thoroughly with paper towel. Water and chocolate do not go well together (ways I will explain in another blogpost) so be sure to let it air dry an additional 30 minutes.
• toothpicks

1. Place a toothpick through the side of the dried apricots. Halfway through the long way works for me. 
2. Pour the desired amount of chocolate chips into a stainless steel bowl or glass bowl. I recommend small amounts like 500g.

• Use the double boiler method at low heat.Double boiler method: AKA bain marie. Saucepan should contain 1-2 inches water. Bowl should not be completely inside the sauce pan, but only partially and snuggled comfortably in the saucepan.

Melt chocolate in the bowl (as you stir) at simmering water to 140 degrees fahrenheit.

• the name of the game is constant movement! We don’t want to give fats and solids an opportunity to pool together and congregate.

Take the bowl off the heat and give it constant movement (like 15-20 good stirs every minute. As you get closer to 79, especially keep an eye out to prevent clumping. You will feel it stiffen. Once you’ve reached 79-80 degrees fahrenheit, you have created crystals!

Put the bowl back on the pan (low heat) and give constant movement until heat comes back up to 88 degrees.

At 88 degrees, take the chocolate bowl off the heat. Chocolate is now at a tempered state.

Give the chocolate a thorough stir. Dip apricots, holding it by the toothpick, tap off excess, and place on parchment paper on a baking sheet. 

The chocolate will slowly cool as you are working. When it begins to crystallize again, repeat #5.

• Tip: Try to keep the overall temperature of chocolate between 80-88 degrees. It is easy to overheat very fast, so keep an eye on the chocolate when it is over heat!

You can remove toothpicks when chocolate is fully solidified (about an hour). 

Enjoy! You can store remaining apricots and chocolate dipped ones in an airtight container, in a cool and dark place for several weeks.

This is one of the easiest ways you’ll get a perfect temper every time! 

For those of you who may not have the time to take on a new skill set but chocolate covered apricots sound pretty sweet to you right about now, I’d like to introduce to you my line of chocolate covered fruits. The chocolate is much more deep than your typical dark chocolate, it is made with less fat, how cocoa, dairy-free, clean delicious really cuts the craving, satisfying snack that I created for myself and for all to enjoy without feeling the guilt because you took more bites than you planned for.

Sweetduet website

Thank you for your love and support!

Don’t feel a stranger! Drop a line to say hi and follow my journey of my evolution @sweetduetchocolate

Love, 

Annie