Home made Easter eggs

Geegee

I've got the moulds and am going to have a go at making my own this year. Has anyone any tips on how to use the moulds and the type of chocolate to use etc?

Shabadu

Use chocolate with between 50 and 65% Cocoa solids for the best melting texture.

Brush on layers w/ soft bristled pastry brush.

Don't be tempted to put the moulds in the fridge to speed up cooling.

Have a LOAD of patience.

Trim off the seam when you have finished using a butter knife or a palate knife you heated in a flame.

Have fun decorating it.

rubadub

Melt very slowly in a baine marie. Do not use a microwave. I have heard it is best not to stir when melting, just let it do its own thing. Layer it up as mentioned rather than trying to dump it all in. I think fast cooling, like stirring creates graininess or that whiteing you see.
If you have put the first layer on consider stirring in extras for the rest, like having a really thick shell with nuts & raisins. Putting the first layer on gives an all chocolate finish.

I would heat the knife in hot water, becareful with a flame heated knife as it may burn the chocolate.

Geegee

Brush on layers w/ soft bristled pastry brush.

So, each layer would have to dry before adding the next?

Melt very slowly in a baine marie.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is this?

If you have put the first layer on consider stirring in extras for the rest, like having a really thick shell with nuts & raisins. Putting the first layer on gives an all chocolate finish.

Apart from making it more interesting, is there any other reason for doing this?


Also, with regard to using high cocoa mass chocolate, can you get milk chocolate with that percentage of cocoa mass?

Tree

a bain marie is like a bowl over another bowl, you'd fill the bottom one w/ hot water when you doin choc

let the layers dry, otherwise it'll be just one layer

fruit and nut is for those who like it, i dont like fruit so id maybe consider chopped toasted hazelnuts


I find that when melting milk chocolate it's best to use the highest cocoa mass that comes from the cocoa itself and doesnt have extra cocoa mass added in the form of powder (eg in oconnaills in cork, they do a 38% which is great for munching coz of the high cocoa content but tends to go grainy when melted coz of the extra powdered cocoa, their 34% is perfect for melting and cooking and also good to eat!)

Shabadu

A good Milk would be the Green & Blacks. Lindt and Valhrona are perfect for melting even at high cocoa solid percentages, but anything above the 60ish percent mark will probably have to be mollycoddled and tempered.

Tempering chocolate is only fun when you have a massive marble slab, a lot of chocolate, plenty of palate knives, and a free afternoon.

rubadub

Geegee wrote:

So, each layer would have to dry before adding the next?

The layering gets a more even coating. if you dump it all in it will all flow to the bottom and you will have then sides and a thick base.

Geegee wrote:

Forgive my ignorance, but what is this??

Most use a glass pyrex bowl in a saucepan of warm (not boiling) water, to very gently heat it, it gives a very even heat to the bowl rather than trying to microwave or heat directly in a saucepan on a low heat on a hob.

Geegee wrote:

Apart from making it more interesting, is there any other reason for doing this?

nope, just more interesting, if you are going to the bother of making them I would make them a little different than the standard commercial eggs & give people a surprise. You could also try mixing some white chocolate in for a marble effect. Pour a few lines around the empty mould and then either allow to set or brush on the darker chocolate straight away. Or dark, milk and white layers, sort of like a kinder surprise egg. I have also thought of making a thin layer and putting a layer of fondant or fudge in between, then another layer on top of chocolate to seal it, so it is sort of like a giant creme egg.

Geegee wrote:

Also, with regard to using high cocoa mass chocolate, can you get milk chocolate with that percentage of cocoa mass?

if the brands mentioned are hard to find tescos now do chocolate in their "finest" range, dunnes probably do too in their quality range. Havent tried them but I would say they are fine.

Geegee

I have three egg sises: 4.25" long, 5" long and 10" long. Have you any idea about quantities of chocolate for each egg?

Geegee

I have also thought of making a thin layer and putting a layer of fondant or fudge in between, then another layer on top of chocolate to seal it, so it is sort of like a giant creme egg.

Sounds good. Do you have a recipe for the fondant?

rubadub

Geegee wrote:

Sounds good. Do you have a recipe for the fondant?

Never tried it but
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=%22creme+egg%22+%2Bfondant+%2Brecipe&spell=1

monkeyfudge

Could you coat a balloon with chocolate, let it harden and then burst the balloon using a small pin?

I'm DEFINTELY going to try that.

rubadub

monkeyfudge wrote:

Could you coat a balloon with chocolate, let it harden and then burst the balloon using a small pin?

I'm DEFINTELY going to try that.

Maybe better is to break up a bar and stick it in the balloon. Then blow it up, now stick it in hot water to melt and cover all the inside. Now peel the balloon off. Now you should have a fully sealed egg with no rubber inside to fish out. If you coated a balloon outside you always have the hole for the tied bit.

Dunno about the rubber taste though. Many easter egg containers can be used as moulds.

Geegee

A good Milk would be the Green & Blacks

Have you tried melting Green & Blacks 34% milk chocolate? If so, was it a success?

Chong

Tempering is excellent I have to say, when I was in college studying to be a professional chef we made chocolates and easter eggs. Tempering is absolute key to having a good final result, the reason being is it gives the chocolates a distinct shine and texture"the crack or snap of chocolate".

Shabadu

Were you in Cathal Brugha street? Because that quote is directly out of John Linnane's notes.

Chong

I cant tell if your being sarcastic Shabadu?

Shabadu

I'm not! He must have used that phrase ten times per class, verbatim.

Chong

I am afraid I didnt go to Cathal Brugha street Shabadu, I went to L.I.T. Thats what we were told when making chocolate by our lecturer. Sorry for questionining you shab. Are you a chef yourself?

Geegee

Have just put the first layer on each mould and have a couple of questions:

I have only coated the recess with chocolate - should I overlap onto the flat area around the recess also?

Thinking ahead, how do you get the egg out of the mould without breaking it?

Shabadu

Put some on the lip too. You get it out by plunging the mould into hot water for a few seconds than flipping them over. Use a hot palate knife to heat the edges and glue together, and to trim off the edge. Don't forget to fill it with nice things like coloured paper, maltesers and a little feathery chick if you have any.

Geegee

Help! it is not working out. I have made three half eggs and I've followed the instructions of plunging the mould into boiling water - I managed to get the smallest one out of the mould but the outside has melted.

The medium sized one is just melting in the mould and will not come out.
The large one has cracked and is melting in the mould.

Can the cracks be repaired? How can I get them out of the moulds?

Tree

brass moulds or rubbery ones?

i think if you lightly coat the mould with oil before you use them they should come out easier and you can then polish the oil off

Geegee

plastic ones - just can't get them out.

Tree

prolly best to melt them out and start again with a gently oiled mould.

is there any give that you can flex them a bit?

daiixi

I remember when making chocolates at home as kids we always used to just bang the moulds against the table until the chocolates fell out. But larger egg shells are harder to remove so I agree, a gently oiled mould could work. Make sure the chocolate has completely set before trying to remove it from the mould as well.

Geegee

Have just had to break them to pieces - will the chocolate melt again alright? I have also got nuts and raisins mixed in.

Would you use sunflower or olive oil? Should I just brush in on or wipe it on with kitchen towel? Are you sure it won't taint the chocolate?

Thanks in advance.

Tree

not olive oil! it tastes dodge

you can polish off almost all the oil, you shouldnt notice a taste and the chocolate should be lovely and shiney if you polish it up w/ a cloth.

just a thin layer ont eh mould so kitchen towel should be good

Geegee

Have given it up as a bad job. Wiped the moulds with sunflower oil and re-melted the chocolate, put two thick coats on but still could not remove the half egg when it was set. The chocolate I have used is Green and Blacks 34% milk chocolate.

Shabadu

Ah well Geegee. Maybe next time. I would reccomend using a lot more than two layers, however, and to also only dip the moulds into hot water for a few seconds at most.

Yorky

Had a go myself at making chocolate eggs this year without much success. Does anyone know of any small novelty moulds to make chocolate treats for next year?

Yorky

Successfully made some chocolate eggs this year by tempering rich dark chocolate. The problem is that I had to use high cocoa content chocolate (70% plus) and therefore the chocolaste is dark. All of the recipes I have seen say to use either dark or milk but it must be high cocoa contents so it must be dark chocolate! Does anyone know if it is possible to make home-made eggs using milk chocolate?