Strawberry S’mores Bouquet
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 1 arrangement
- Total: 2 hr
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 sleeve graham crackers (9 crackers), finely crushed
3 pounds strawberries (about 50 berries), rinsed and dried completely
1 bunch curly kale, washed and dried completely
One 12-ounce bag marshmallows (about 50 marshmallows)
Directions
Special equipment:
fifty 6-inch wooden skewers; one large sheet floral foam; two wet floral foam bricks, at least 8 inches long; one 5-inch square planter, flowerpot or cardboard box; small kitchen propane torch- Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe medium bowl and microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Put the graham crackers in a small bowl.
- Thread a strawberry stem-end first onto a 6-inch wooden skewer and dip the tip straight down into the chocolate to coat half the strawberry. Lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Dip the tip of the strawberry into the graham crackers, leaving a stripe of chocolate visible. Carefully grasp the exposed base of the strawberry and rotate and push the skewer until 1 inch of the skewer extends beyond the tip. Stick the skewer upright into a large sheet of floral foam. Repeat with the remaining strawberries. Allow the chocolate to set, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, shape two wet floral foam bricks so they fit snugly inside a 5-inch square planter, flowerpot or cardboard box. Do so by holding the bricks together and cutting them with a serrated knife so the resulting rectangle is 5 inches wide by 5 inches long by 8 inches tall. Wrap the rectangle tightly with plastic wrap and fit it into the planter (it will extend to the top). Drape about 6 large kale leaves rib-side down over the planter, sticking the stems into the planter. Try to cover the foam entirely. (Reserve the remaining kale for another use.)
- Once the chocolate-dipped strawberries are set, top each skewer with a marshmallow.
- Stick 1 skewer into the top center of the wet foam, pushing the skewer in so about 1 inch of wood is still exposed. Continue sticking the remaining skewers into the foam in concentric circles, packing the strawberries as closely as possible without touching, and working outward. When you're done, only a little frill of kale should be visible below the strawberries.
- Just before serving, wave a kitchen propane torch near the marshmallows until toasted to a golden brown.