Chocolate Berry Bliss Shells

While wandering through the frozen dessert section of our local grocery store I spotted some pre-made tiny pastry shells and grabbed a box as they were on sale. At the time I wasn't sure what I was going to make with them. Did not know if it would be savory or sweet, I only knew that I couldn't pass them by.

Yesterday I made and blogged Mixed Berry Heart Tarts and had quite a bit of the frozen berry filling left over along with fresh blueberries as well. Last month I picked up some chocolate melt candies at Joanne's Fabric along with a couple of molds with the intention of making a chocolate shelled dessert of some kind.



I so happen to have what I think is a skilled creative mind in that I can think and envision something but as far as raw talent and natural ability to pull it off, well that's another story. The idea I had in mind for making the shells was actually scaring me half to death. I did not want to put something on the blog that looked like a three year old who was playing with play doh made so I let the idea rest until a day that I felt comfortable tackling it.

Then after I made the hand held tarts it struck me that I had those little pastry shells in the freezer and it was like the idea just fell into place. If these chocolate berry bliss shells come out the way I envision them I am half expecting a choir of angels to ascend from the heavens and sing the Hallelujah chorus.

In keeping with the Valentine's Day theme I envision these as nice little dessert bites after a great meal cooked at home for your loved ones. Also I believe that if you are entertaining and want a variety of dessert bites on your buffet, that these gems would also fit in quite nicely.

And I decided to try out my chocolate molds so I incorporated three of those as well.

• 1-2 packages frozen pastry shells
• mixed berry filling that is already cooked
• chocolate candy melts
• fresh blueberries
• whipped cream

1. Melt the candy melts according to the package directions.
2. Take the frozen pastry shells and dip them in the chocolate turning them upside down to let the excess roll off into the bowl. Place the melts on flat dish or baking sheet lined with some parchment paper. When you have finished all the shells pop them in the freezer.

If you haven't made the mixed berry filling, use frozen mixed berries and depending on how many you are making you may want to use half the bag. Or, do the whole bag and use a some of the berry mixture for these and use the rest for either hand held pies or a small deep dish pie.

• 1 lb. mixed berries
• 2 tbsp. corn starch
• 1/8 cup to 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• pinch salt

1. Put the completely thawed berries in a sauce pot with the other ingredients. Mix well. 
2. Heat to a boil, stirring and when it starts to boil, turn the heat off and take the pan off the heat as well.
3. Cool the mixture down completely before assembling the dessert.

That's all there is to that. Now get some whipped cream ready and refrigerated.

Pull the now covered chocolate pastry shells out of the freezer. Add some of the berry mixture to each one. And put in the refrigerator until you are ready for them. When you are ready to have dessert, pull them back out and top with some whipped cream and dot some chocolate covered blueberries on the whipped cream.