• Wash the strawberries and dry them thoroughly, then leave them lying on paper towels to air dry further. It is important that there is no moisture on the strawberries or the chocolate won't stick.

Melt the Chocolate (Traditional Tempering)

• Create a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan with about an inch of simmering water.
• Add ⅔ of the chocolate to the bowl to melt. Stirring occasionally, use a candy thermometer to check when the chocolate reaches 113°F / 41°C, then remove from the heat.
• Add the remaining ⅓ of the chocolate, a little at a time, stirring until it melts into the rest. Keep stirring until the temperature of the chocolate comes down to 82°F / 27°C.
• Put the bowl back over the warm saucepan to gently bring the chocolate back up to working temperature (88°F / 32°C).
• Drizzle a little chocolate onto some parchment paper to test if it is properly tempered (it should set within 1-2 minutes).

Melt the Chocolate (Easy Microwave Tempering)

• Put ⅔ of the chocolate in a plastic bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is about ¾ of the way melted (mostly melted but with a few chunks of chocolate through it).
• Stir the chocolate vigorously until it is completely melted, then add the remaining third of the chocolate a little at a time, stirring until completely melted each time.
• When the chocolate pieces are no longer easily melting, stop adding more. If you have a few chunks in there that won't melt, scoop them out, and don't reheat the chocolate, as this will undo the tempering.
• Drizzle a little chocolate onto some parchment paper to test if it is properly tempered (it should set within 1-2 minutes).

Dip the Strawberries

• Transfer your melted chocolate to a small bowl so you have a deeper well of chocolate to dip into.
• Pull the green stems of the strawberries upward so you have something to grip onto.
• One by one, pick up the strawberries by the stem and dip them into the melted chocolate. You may want to angle slightly one way, then the other, to make sure the whole strawberry is covered. Don't let go of the stem.
• Pull the strawberry out of the chocolate and gently shake it to get rid of any excess chocolate.
• Place the dipped strawberry down on a piece of parchment paper to set.

  If you want to add any toppings (such as sprinkles or chopped nuts), add them right away, as the chocolate will set quickly.
• Repeat until all the strawberries are done. Leave the strawberries to set at room temperature.