Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Groom Berries with Bride Berries & A Dedication !!





Valentine’s Day is at the doorstep and my memory is flooded with all those pleasant recollections as well as some embarrassing moments associated with it; well, lets not get into the details of the latter ;-) The one that hovering on top is the V-Day I celebrated with some of my very close friends in college. It was the first semester of our masters program and the V-Day fever was high as usual. Some of us, I should say, a bunch of singles, were left alone with no exciting plans and hence, decided to have a girls’ day out. If my memory is not clouded, I think we decided to pair it with two of our friends’ b’day celebrations as well. We all got-together and had a bash; we went to the pizzeria in town for lunch, had softies for dessert, took a long walk in the breezy marine drive, peeped into Archies Gallery to have a look at those mushy-mushy cards and soft teddies which did evoke some sort of hope that “hmm…one day….someone….” but at the same time, we were all green–eyed monsters too :) The snapshots from that day bring back lots of smiles whenever I flip through the pages of my college album!! Happy to note that we were a lucky bunch as all of us are now happily married and settled with our Valentines :)

This was my first attempt at dressing up the strawberries in tuxedos and gowns and regardless of the imperfection it has, I would like to dedicate this post to all my friends, fellow bloggers for all their words of appreciation and encouragement and DT, LJ, MC, NG, TM and US in particular for those wonderful days we shared !! Here comes a Groom Berry and Bride Berry from miles away to knock on your doors and wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day !! :)

For dressing up Groom Berries & Bride Berries You Need: -
  • 1 ½ cups (Approx.) dark chocolate pieces/morsels
  • 2 cups (Approx.)white chocolate pieces/morsels
  • 1 dozen strawberries
  • Wax Paper
  • Toothpicks or skewers.

Melting Chocolate and Dipping strawberries
Wash and pat dry the strawberries with its green cap intact. Melt white chocolate, in small quantities, in microwave (or by the double boiler method) for 30 seconds. Take the bowl out and stir and again melt them for 15 to 30 seconds intervals, until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir well to make it creamy. Insert a toothpick or skewer on the center of the strawberry and dip them each in chocolate upto its stems .At this stage, giving the berries a little shake will help you get an even surface and leave them on the wax paper for 20-30min in room temperature until chocolate is dry and hardened. The toothpick/skewer will help you hold the strawberries correctly without breaking the stems or squeezing the fruit while trying to lift them from the melted chocolate.

Tuxedo Strawberries or Groom Berries
Once the white-chocolate-dipped-strawberries are completely hardened, start melting the dark chocolate morsels in the same way mentioned earlier. And dip white-chocolate-dipped-strawberries into the dark creamy chocolate from both the sides, in such a way that it forms a V shape jacket in the center. Place them again on the wax paper leaving it to cool. Meanwhile using a toothpick or skewer, draw small buttons and a bow-tie.

Bride Berries
To make your cute Bride Berries, dip strawberries only in the white chocolate from both the sides to form a U or V shaped gown necks and decorate with a toothpick/skewer to make a simple chain or a pearl chain with dots. When it is completely hardened, remove the toothpicks/skewers and serve them cold.

Tips for Berry Stylists!
Please make sure that there is not even a drop of water in the bowl while melting chocolate as water content can cause chocolate “seize” and make it a grainy mess. Also if the chocolate gets hardened while melting, adding a bit of shortening or vegetable oil (NO WATER, pls!) will help it to soften. The chocolate dipped strawberries are best if eaten within 24 hours - refrigerate for longer storage, but serve at room temperature for greatest flavor. For a step by step pictorial representation of dressing up strawberries, Click here

So what do you think, aren’t they all dressed up to go for the Berry Bash at Maheswari’s AFAM & Pooja’s Valentine’s Day party ? :)

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY :)

Luv
Shn

No part of the content ( articles, photographs, recipes) of this blog may be reproduced without my written permission.Copyright © 2007-2010 Kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com. All rights reserved.

55 comments:

  1. thats so cute and very creative shn... u r an artist girl:)

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  2. Wow..that's the beautiful bride and handsome groom berries i have seen in my life :D..That's very creative and nicely presented..would love to see a cake decorated by you ..:)).Thanks for the entry.

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  3. Fantastic!!!!!Oh my Mishmash!!what a wounderful dressing....No words to praise you.........
    Happy Valentine's Day!!

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  4. Wow! you are so creative. Loved those in tuxedos..

    Hmm..Archies gallerys...mushy mushy cards...teddy bears...hmmmm..
    good old days :)

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  5. Thats simply adorable!!!!!! Great looking Mishmash!!! :)

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  6. oh my gosh!!! I'm totally speechless!!! They're too beautiful, I have no heart to bite them =)

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  7. wow! that looks so perfect. i tried making these once and the chocolate wouldn't harden.will try ur way now.

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  8. Those look so tasty! I'm not good at decorating small things, I don't have a steady hand so my strawberries would probably just have been striped. Yours are much nicer!

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  9. Absolutely fabulous!! Bride and groom are ready for the Ball and ready to have a ball!!:D Very nice presentation.Send it to Trupti's Winter Swing event and you might win a prize!!
    Have a great day.

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  10. This is really awesome ! you are very creative. Happy valentines to you too.

    I have no idea what cuttlefish is called in mal....

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  11. Wow lovely visual treats!!! couldn't believe that it is ur first attempt in dressing up the berries.. they look so perfect.
    Happy valentine's day

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  12. Shn,
    How adorable berries. Thats indeed very creative of your to devide them into groom and bride. Those look neat gal. Loved them.
    Happy V-day
    Enjoy

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  13. Oh my goodness, Shn, I am speechless!! They're adorable! :)

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  14. Can I give you an award for the best valentine's day entry, dear mishmash? Groom berries and bride berries look so adorable!

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  15. Hi Shn! Love is in the air, huh?? :) Very beautiful, very neatly done, beautifully presented!! I wouldn't have the heart to bite those!!

    Wish you and your hubby a lovely V'day!

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  16. Mishmash,
    wow!, berries looks so beautiful and so yummy also..Lovely pics ..
    hugs and smiles
    Jaya

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  17. Arent they the cutest strawberry couples:) Very Very creative, shn. Hat's off!

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  18. Cool! Dressed up strawberries. Refreshing to see something other than plain chocolate dipped strawberries. Labour intensive? Was the valentine floored?

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  19. Wow that's so cool and creative. The pictures just brought a smile on my face.

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  20. Wow ! what a wonderful dressing.
    Awesome.

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  21. Now, that's creativity! Didn't you find it hard to eat them, though, since they're so pretty? :)

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  22. Cute Brides and Grooms! Very creative,

    Trupti

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  23. Wow shn they look really cute....very creative.They look like a beautiful couples together.

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  24. Nobody wud have enjoyed the V day than your berries I believe....I went speechless just by looking at the stage by stage photos...!!!

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  25. I have seen your comments on various blogs, but got time only today to make a visit and my visit was welcomed by so cute darling berries...thanks.....wud drop by often i guess!!

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  26. those are very pretty! the food in your blog looks delicious!

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  27. How adorable they look, Shn! Very nice!! :)

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  28. that's hilarious and of course the rceipe is intimidatingly good.

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  29. Did you finally eat the bride and bridegroom??!!;)

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  30. Adorable brides and grooms. Very creative!

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  31. Sia,Thanks:) artist..huh??!!

    Mahe, It's such a nice feeling to hear all those sweet words of appreciation. Thank you ! Cake decoration, hmm.., thats a bit of over estimation I guess;)

    Kitchenfairy, dont praise me so much, I wont be able to take it all :)) Thanks, dear:)

    Shn

    Sra, Thank You:)

    Inji pennu, Welcome to my blog and thank you for all those comments. Yes, sometimes we all go nostalgic about those good ole days,isn't it?

    Annita, Looks like its your first time to my blog and let me welcome you :)Thank
    You !

    Coffee, Thanks a lot :) Since you gave me signal to come up with my version of choco.dip berries, I had no other option :)

    Gattina, Thanks so much !! Go get one for you :)

    Mallu girl,Thanks ! Well, the second layer of coating will take some time to harden than the first coating; also make sure that there is not water on the berry.

    Brilynn,Thanks for coming back again.Striped berries are also perttier :)

    Asha, Thank YOU ! :) I checked the winter swing event but looks like its more about cooking with your family/friends and catching the moment in a snapshot.So I wonder if my entry will be considered!

    Pravs, Thank you :)

    Prema Sundar, You have to trust me here, its my first attempt at dressing the berries in tuxedos and gowns.And I am happy that I made an attempt and you all liked it too :)

    Seema,Thanks so much :)

    Linda, Thank you and welcome to my blog :)

    RP, hmm...teasing me, huh ?? But I dont mind accepting your award ;)) Thanks, dear:)

    Jyothsna,Thank You so much. Since I made so many, you can take one for you and one for ur spouse :)

    Jaya, Thank you and Welcome to my blog :) Glad you liked 'em :)

    Hema, hahaha, yes, they are the cutest berry couples :)Thank you for visiting me and do come back for more!

    Gini, I wouldnt say it's labour intensive but a bit time consuming and really tests your patience if you try to dress up more than 12-15 at a time.hmm...should I really answer the second one ?;)) Don't you know the answer ?;))

    Suma, I am very glad to hear that. Hope you will visit again :)

    Just for fun,Thank you and Welcome to my blog :)

    Susan, Glad to see you again here. I packed half of it to a friend :)

    TS, Thank you and a warm welcome to my blog :)

    Sri, Thank you ! Yes, they are/were a happy couple :)

    A Yunus, Thanks for visiting my blog and come back again. Dipping berries is an easier job compared to dressing them up in tux and gowns. Try it once.

    Cinderelly,Thanks so much and Welcome to my blog. You are very talented and creative.

    Vani, Thank You and nice to see you here again :)

    Jacob, Why dont you try sketching them, it would be really good :)

    Sumitha,Welcome to my blog :) hahah, I had to eat 'em ;))

    Sailaja, Thanks so much :)

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  32. Hi!!
    You have a very good blog running. Nice Pictures, neat presentation.

    Keep it up!

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  33. Hi Mishmash, you had asked me what you can do about yahoo's theft. If you would like to join us, do make a post about it today or tomorrow if possible.
    This is the update on the news

    Sorry to bother you. If you find this comment not fitting here, please be free to delete this.

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  34. You groom and bride strawberries are a real treat. Wonderful and creative. Hope you had a wonderul celebration!

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  35. Hi MishMash
    I have posted an
    Event.

    The protest will be on March 5th. Let us spread the word. Thanks a lot for your support.

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  36. is it possible to parcel some part of whatever u make..You see am good at appreciating food!! :-P

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  37. wow..that's so beautiful..so pretty...very artistic...

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  38. I don't understand how I missed this post of yours...anyways, I must say that these strawberries are just out of this world and will make anybody's V'day, the most memorable one! I love the Groom Berries, may be because I am a gal ;D ! Wonderful job, you have great decorating and presentation skills. Very impressive!

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  39. Hey you!! Its out of the world!! You are really doing a great job and have a long list of admirers as well!! :) Keep it up!

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  40. Hi Shn.. Mishmash, Thanx for visiting my blog:)I regret for not coming to your blog earlier.You made such cute adorable couple with the strawberries:)

    You have written about pizeria n marine drive I love both of them . I love south Mumbai(town ):)

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  41. First time to your blog and those strawberries are sooo cute, adorable
    Nice blog and shall be back for more of that fish curry :)

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  42. Hi Shn,

    First time here and those berries are breathtaking! Such creativity! Hats off to you!

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  43. Bhargavi,Thank You and a warm welcome to my blog and hope to see u often :)

    Inji, Thanks for the update and as I told u,my post is ready and will be publishing on Mar 5th.C U :)

    Mandira, Thanks a lot and let me welcome you to my blogspot.Yes, V-Day went well :)

    Mathew, oh sure...why dont u send ur address ?;))

    @ Thank You and Welcome :)

    Bee, Thank You for visiting my blog and hope to see u again :)

    Nandu,Thank You :) Its so great to hear all those nice words :)

    Nidhi, Thats ok, atleast you found out now :)Thanks a lot for all that words of appreciation :)

    Ash,hmmm...thanks dear :)

    Archana,Welcome to my blog and I am glad u liked my page. Btw, I was talking about the pizzeria and marine drive in Cochin City, I 've never been to Mumbai ;)

    Sandeepa, hey u bong mom, u re always welcome :) Thanks for dropping by.

    Indian recipes, I am so happy to hear that :) Pls do visit again.

    Chandrika,Thank You so much and I am glad I could welcome you with berry couples :)

    luv
    Shn

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  44. Mishmash,

    first time at your blog, wow you have a treasure here. love the cute bride and grooms.
    Love your colors and presentations.
    Added you to my blog roll

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  45. hello mishmash..
    was just going thru your blog..u work so well with the colours.amazing!
    all are presented so well and i bet its yummy too!

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  46. ur most creative recipe :) nice to see you back.. hope all is well..

    the black forest cake, your last entry, looks sinful!!

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  47. hey auntie awsme recipie as always i just posted some recipies at pachakam.com its very simple recepies ( nothing like yours ) plese feel free to drop by and look at them and tell me how they are. here are the links

    tandoori chicken :

    http://pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=3352

    chilli - garlic dip

    http://pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=3367

    brocoi thoran :

    http://pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=3355

    potato baji :

    http://pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=3354

    soo i gues thats it...but plese do tell me how it is .

    srry for post like these stuff in your recipies coments ...shamekene antie aryatha ketho... :)

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  48. Sheby....I just left a comment on your page...hope you got it....incase if it hasnt saved properly, just wanted to let you know you have a done a great job and you will be an expert by the time you reach 25 :) It is a good start and a job well done...all the best :)

    Shn

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  49. Hi Mishmash!

    I have tried doing this before but when I take out the chocolate out of microwave, it melts and turns into a thick liquid for a split second and then immediately hardens to a granular texture...any ideas what happends?

    BTW, thanks for the black forest recipe! It is a boon to be able to recreate it!

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