double boiler absolutely is not necessary - i just put a bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water- -just make sure that the bowl doesn't touch the water...
make sure the bowl is not wet at all - chocolate and water don't mix - if the chocolate gets wet - it will seize up - kinda icky looking when it does.
I'm not sure i've ever had a specific recipe that i used...
1 bag of dark chocolate chips
2 tsp of crisco shortening (the stuff in the can, not the oil)
(the shortening, i've found is good for making the chocolate solidiy
Melt together...
you could also do butterscotch chips, milk chocolate, or a combination (see attempt to explain tuxedos) or just drizzle the butterscotch over the chocolate.
(you could also melt the chocolate in the microwave - but i always scorch it when i do that)
put the berries or whatever you are dipping into tiny muffin papers (ya know those things you'd bake cupcakes in - only small ones - makes it easier to transport 'em.
Make them at the last possible minute - this isn't a good item to make the day before.. the strawberries mush up..
Dip the chocolate...
If desired, roll in toasted cocanut, or ground nuts or colored sugar... or whatever floats your boat...
You can also make strawberry tuxedos wiht white chocolate nad dark chocolate -- first dunk strawberry in white chocolate.. let harden.. then dip the side of the berry into dark choc - -then the other side (so it looks like lapels kind of...) then with a pastry bag, or zip lock bag with the tip cut off - -make teeny tiny dots for hte buttons and m ake a bowtie
their bowties suck but this is kinda what they look like
It's time consuming but show offy... :0
(the best strawberries are the ones taht are slightly under ripe... )
Other things to dip -
Banana chunks
Orange Chunks
Pineapple
star fruit is pretty - because of the shape
marshmallows
pretzels
potato chips
also make for tasty treats...
Or plastic spoons dipped in chocate, then they become stirrers for coffee
You could do skewers of fruit and drizzle