chocolate eggs Recipe

How to make it

---

• Chocolate Egg How-To.
• Using a pin, poke a hole in the bottom of a large raw egg; insert the tip of a utility knife, and turn to open the hole slightly.
• Using a rotary drill fitted with a 3/8-inch bit, carefully widen the hole to at least 1/2 inch in diameter.
• Insert pin into the hole to pierce and "stir" the yolk.
• Hold the egg, hole down, over a bowl, and blow air into the hole with a rubber ear syringe (the air will displace and expel the egg).
• Rinse out egg.
• Repeat to make 12 blown eggs (you may want to make extras in case some break).
• Sterilize eggs: Submerge them in a pot of cold water with 1 tablespoon white vinegar; bring to a boil, then simmer, skimming foam from surface, 10 minutes.
• Let drain on a pin board.
• If not dyeing eggs, let dry completely on pin board, 2 to 3 days (check insides for moisture).
• If dyeing eggs:
• Mix 4 tablespoons vinegar and 12 drops of blue food coloring with 2 cups boiling-hot water in a heatproof glass or enamel bowl.
• Fill a separate cup with white vinegar.
• Using a plastic spoon, dip eggs in vinegar, then into the dye, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pat eggs with paper towels to eliminate streaks. (If dye begins to cool while you're working, make a new batch.)
• Let the eggs dry as described above.
• . Using an offset serrated knife, very finely chop 3 pounds of chocolate. Reserve 1 cup chocolate; using a bench scraper, transfer remaining chocolate to a large heatproof bowl.
• Temper chocolate:
• Set bowl over a pan of simmering water.
• Melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until a chocolate thermometer registers 131 degrees. (Note: Many brands of dark chocolate should not be heated to more than 118 degrees.)
• Remove from heat; stir in reserved cup chocolate until completely melted. Pour 2/3 of the melted chocolate onto a clean smooth work surface (such as marble or stainless steel).
• Spread thinly with an offset spatula.
• Then gather together chocolate, and take temperature.
• Continue spreading and gathering chocolate until it cools to 82 degrees to 84 degrees.
• Scrape chocolate back into bowl with remaining chocolate. Stir until it cools to 82 degrees to 84 degrees.
• Set bowl over a pan of warm water, and reheat to 88 degrees.
• To check consistency, dip a spoon in chocolate and remove; chocolate should set in about 2 minutes, turning shiny and hard.
• Note: This temperature must be maintained as you fill the eggs; keep a thermometer in the chocolate, and check frequently.
• Rest the bowl on a heating pad wrapped in a towel, or set bowl over the pan of warm (not hot) water.
• Place eggshells in an egg carton.
• Place a disposable pastry bag in a tall glass, and fold top down.
• Fill bag with chocolate; cut tip to create a 1/4-inch opening.
• For solid chocolate eggs: Insert tip of bag into each egg, and fill with chocolate (about 1/4 cup per egg; fill a new bag with chocolate as needed).
• Let set completely, about 4 hours.
• Alternatively, fill eggs with ganache:
• Fill all eggs with chocolate, then let stand 5 minutes instead of letting chocolate set.
• Pour chocolate out of eggs into a glass measuring cup, tapping your hand against cup to let most of the chocolate drain out (do not add to tempered chocolate).
• Let chocolate "shells" set completely.
• Fill a disposable pastry bag with ganache (recipe follows); cut tip to create a 1/4-inch opening. Insert tip into egg; fill with ganache.
• Tap egg gently, hole up, on a folded kitchen towel to eliminate air pockets; fill to top.
• Continue with remaining eggs.
• Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
• Ganache-filled eggs can be refrigerated up to 1 week; solid eggs can be stored in a cool, dry place until ready to serve.
• ********************************************
• Note:
• The steps here are for tempering chocolate by hand.
• If you work with chocolate frequently, investing in a tempering machine will save time and make cleanup easier -- and the chocolate will be perfectly creamy, smooth, and shiny.
• Every brand of chocolate requires different tempering temperatures; see package instructions.
• For Valrhona, the following temperatures apply: milk chocolate, heat to 118 degrees, cool to 81 degrees to 82 degrees, then warm to 84 degrees to 86 degrees; white chocolate, heat to 118 degrees, cool to 79 degrees to 81 degrees, then warm to 82 degrees to 84 degrees.

filling the chocolate into the egg   Close

making it a hallow egg   Close

fill with Ganache   Close