Valentines Breakable Chocolate Heart (Printable Version)

Hollow chocolate heart filled with fresh strawberries, ideal for a romantic and interactive dessert experience.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chocolate Shell

01 - 10.6 oz high-quality dark or milk chocolate, chopped

→ Filling

02 - 7 oz fresh strawberries, hulled and dried

→ Decoration

03 - 1 oz white chocolate, melted
04 - Edible gold leaf or sprinkles

# Directions:

01 - Chop the chocolate into small, even pieces. Melt two-thirds of the chocolate gently over a double boiler or in a microwave using 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Add the remaining third and stir until fully melted and tempered.
02 - Pour the tempered chocolate into a clean, dry heart-shaped silicone or polycarbonate mold. Tilt to coat all surfaces evenly. Invert and let excess chocolate drip out, leaving a 2–3 mm shell. Scrape the edges clean. Chill the mold in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
03 - Repeat the chocolate coating for structural strength. Chill for another 10 minutes.
04 - Carefully remove the chocolate heart shell from the mold. Place it on a parchment-lined tray.
05 - Place the prepared strawberries inside one half of the chocolate heart. If using a single-piece mold, gently fill through an opening.
06 - Gently warm the edge of the empty half or a chocolate disk and press it onto the filled half to seal. Smooth the seam with a warm spatula if desired.
07 - Drizzle with melted white chocolate, add sprinkles, or apply edible gold leaf. Chill until ready to serve.
08 - Present with a small wooden mallet or spoon for breaking open the heart and revealing the strawberries inside.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's the kind of dessert that looks like you spent hours in a professional kitchen, but the technique is surprisingly forgiving once you understand it.
  • The moment someone breaks open their chocolate heart and discovers fresh strawberries is worth every bit of the effort.
  • You get to control exactly what goes inside, so dietary preferences and flavor experiments become part of the fun.
02 -
  • Tempering chocolate isn't mysterious—it's just about bringing the temperature down gradually so you get that snap and shine. Untempered chocolate will bloom (develop white streaks) and look dull, which defeats the whole impressive purpose.
  • Strawberry moisture is your enemy here; I once filled a heart and watched the shell start sweating within hours. Pat them completely dry and consider dipping them in melted chocolate first as a moisture barrier.
03 -
  • If your chocolate seizes (becomes grainy and thick), add a tiny bit of coconut oil and keep stirring—sometimes you can save it, and knowing this takes the panic out of the process.
  • Chill between coats even if it feels like overkill; a thick shell is what stands between you and chocolate tragedy when someone gets enthusiastic with their wooden mallet.
Return