D.I.Y chocolate dipped strawberries

[Kiwi Cruisers]

My husband just came up with a great idea that we want to share with you.

A couple of cruises ago on an NCL ship we bought the "champagne and strawberries" package, which we really enjoyed feasting on as we departed Miami sitting on the promenade deck. We thought.......how about we make our own chocolate dipped strawberries in our stateroom on Sapphire in January? So, this morning we had a practice run at home. He put pieces of chocolate in a teacup, then heated it with the hair dryer. It only took about a minute for the chocolate to melt. We then dipped fruit and nuts in it, laid them on non-stick baking paper and put them in the fridge to set. We can do all of that easily on board ship. As you might guess, our first stop when we get on board will be to the buffet to get a plate of strawberries to prepare for sailaway celebration along with the champagne we'll bring on. Fun!

[Colo Cruiser]

Didn't think the hair dryer ever got that hot.

[chloedmom]

Well, I guess that is creative. We purchased the strawberries in December on the Sapphire. They were only $8 so to me not worth the effort to use a blow dryer, etc. but to each his own.

Enjoy your cruise.

[Toto2Kansas]

I can't remember ever seeing fresh strawberries on the buffet for sailaway, so you may end up with a tiny problem there, ordering them would be a lot easier than cooking them up (so to speak) in your stateroom.

[Kiwi Cruisers]

Originally Posted by chloedmom

Well, I guess that is creative. We purchased the strawberries in December on the Sapphire. They were only $8 so to me not worth the effort to use a blow dryer, etc. but to each his own.

Enjoy your cruise.

We think it will be much more fun being able to make our own, and to make as many as we want as often as we want. And we'll have $8 to go towards our next cruise!

[Kiwi Cruisers]

Originally Posted by Toto2Kansas

I can't remember ever seeing fresh strawberries on the buffet for sailaway, so you may end up with a tiny problem there, ordering them would be a lot easier than cooking them up (so to speak) in your stateroom.

Thanks for that Toto. If there are no fresh strawberries then we'll use some other fruit or nuts. When the strawberries do appear we'll have fun using them too!

[Toto2Kansas]

I have been trying to remember what sort of fresh fruits or nuts might be available on the buffet line. For chocolate dipping, about the only thing I can remember might be fresh pineapple. And I honestly don't ever remember seeing a bowl of fresh strawberries at the buffet at any time for many years. Nuts, none of those either.
I think you might find that your dipping fruit might be lacking a bunch unless you try room service. Good luck though!

[Kiwi Cruisers]

Originally Posted by Toto2Kansas

I have been trying to remember what sort of fresh fruits or nuts might be available on the buffet line. For chocolate dipping, about the only thing I can remember might be fresh pineapple. And I honestly don't ever remember seeing a bowl of fresh strawberries at the buffet at any time for many years. Nuts, none of those either.
I think you might find that your dipping fruit might be lacking a bunch unless you try room service. Good luck though!

Thank you!

The last cruise we did which was on Dawn Princess we went to the buffet every mid afternoon and got a plate of lovely half walnuts and dried apricots. We've also had big bowls of fresh strawberries which have been sitting in lots of ice to keep them cool. Also, the fresh fruit salads normally have strawberries in them, so there will lots of opportunity.

We're going to have fun!

[Pia1913]

Originally Posted by Colo Cruiser

Didn't think the hair dryer ever got that hot.

It may get hot enough to melt chocolate, but not hot enough to dry hair.

[comoxvalley21]

What a great idea.......half the fun will be in the making of the treats.!!

[seacloud]

This reminds me of college days when people would wrap
cheese and bread in foil and IRON it, making grilled
cheese sandwiches! Creative and hungry students.

[Kailyn]

Possibly a better option: Baker's chocolate makes "dipping cups" with dipping chocolate in them.

[UtterCaro]

Originally Posted by Kiwi Cruisers

He put pieces of chocolate in a teacup, then heated it with the hair dryer. It only took about a minute for the chocolate to melt. We then dipped fruit and nuts in it, laid them on non-stick baking paper and put them in the fridge to set. We can do all of that easily on board ship.

As happy as you sound with your plan, I hesitate to point out a couple of possible flaws in it. First, what kind of chocolate and where will it be purchased? You're from NZ; where are you embarking? Customs and import restrictions are very strict about foods. You might be able to bring the chocolate aboard in its sealed package, but do check the legality beforehand. Second, chocolate is obviously sensitive to temperature -- a major consideration if you're planning to put it in your luggage, especially if flying. The third consideration is that (unlike in your home experiment) Princess hair dryers might not blow hot enough to melt chocolate -- or would take an inordinately long time to do so. Do you really want to spend your precious holiday cooking?

Caro

[1 HappyCruiser]

I'll bet it comes in handy for reheating last nights pizza also or even cooking a chicken.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7BYYfpO06w

[Pia1913]

Originally Posted by seacloud

This reminds me of college days when people would wrap
cheese and bread in foil and IRON it, making grilled
cheese sandwiches! Creative and hungry students.

My friend did this in a Fairbanks hotel room (two months ago) when she brought a hoagie back from the supermarket and then ironed it. Her husband loved it.

[Colo Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Pia1913

My friend did this in a Fairbanks hotel room (two months ago) when she brought a hoagie back from the supermarket and then ironed it. Her husband loved it.

Thats a Panini!!
Hope she didn't use starch.

[Toto2Kansas]

Does this mean that if I use the ships self service laundry and iron a shirt, I need to be careful not to get cheese transfered from the iron to the shirt?

[jfv379]

Originally Posted by Pia1913

It may get hot enough to melt chocolate, but not hot enough to dry hair.

I suppose that depends on how many strands you have