Ingredients:

  • 450g large strawberries
  • 5ml lemon juice
  • 115g dark chocolate
  • 12 fresh mint leaves

Instructions:

  1. Wash strawberries in cold water and pat completely dry with a lint-free towel. If creating a bouquet, insert a bamboo skewer through the green calyx halfway into the berry to provide a handle for rotation.
  2. Hold the berry at its base. Starting approximately 1 cm from the bottom, make a downward cut at a 45-degree angle. Use the flat of the knife to gently press the petal outward until it flares. Repeat 3-4 times around the base, staggering the cuts.
  3. Move up the berry 1/4 inch. Position the knife between the two petals of the layer below. Make a shorter downward cut and flare it out. Continue this alternating pattern toward the top to create realistic floral depth.
  4. For the very top, make two perpendicular cuts straight down into the center.
  5. Lightly brush the interior of the cuts with 5ml lemon juice until the fruit looks glistening and bright.
  6. Dip the tips into 115g melted chocolate if you want that extra snap.
  7. Tuck one of the 12 mint leaves under the base of each rose for a finished look.