Follow our simple how to make chocolate Easter eggs guide to learn how to make perfect chocolate eggs with and without a mould.
When making chocolate Easter eggs from scratch choose good quality chocolate. This is not only important for taste but will also be easier to work with. Discover more about the best chocolate to use in our guide on how to melt chocolate.
For a professional-looking egg that has a lovely sheen and satisfying snap, it’s important to temper chocolate before setting it in the moulds. Moulds come in all shapes and sizes, read on to discover some of our best buys below.
When it comes to wrapping your chocolate Easter eggs you can be creative. For a large egg, a pretty fabric tied with a bow looks very impressive, and cellophane is ideal for showing off your chocolate creations.
Alternatively for an understated rustic look baking parchment with a big bright bow is a classy look. For smaller eggs, you could repurpose an egg carton or use an egg cup for a whimsical gift.
How to prepare to make a chocolate Easter egg
Start by collecting all of the equipment and ingredients that you will need to make Easter eggs. Make sure that the moulds are clean and dry. Be careful when handling the moulds as if you mark or scratch the inside this will affect the final egg.
Chef and former Woman’s Weekly cookery editor Sue McMahon suggests wearing cotton gloves (get white ones from chemists) when handling the eggs to avoid getting finger marks on them.
To clean chocolate moulds use a non-abrasive cloth and warm water. Once clean soft cotton wool is ideal to polish the mould to remove any moisture, dust, or grease. The shinier the mould, the shiner the chocolate will be when it comes out of it.
Clear a space in the fridge large enough to set the eggs for 10-20 mins.
It’s easiest to melt more chocolate than you need. That way you can easily swirl the chocolate around the mould. The excess chocolate can always be set on a sheet of baking parchment and re-used, so nothing will go to waste.
How to make an Easter egg
To make Easter eggs you will need:
- Chocolate, you will need about 500g of chocolate per large egg
- Easter egg moulds
- Thermometer
- a large metal bowl and saucepan with a little water in
- Spatula
- Pallet knife
- Ice water
- A tea towel
- A sheet of baking paper on a tray or board that will fit into the fridge
How to make an Easter egg: Step 1
Break the chocolate into the large metal bowl. Place this over a pan of just simmering water allowing the steam to slowly melt the chocolate, mixing occasionally.
How to make an Easter egg: Step 2
Once the chocolate has melted remove the bowl from the heat and plunge the base into a bowl filled with ice water. Mixing all the time, reduce the temperature of the chocolate until a thin layer begins to set on the edge of the bowl. Now briefly place the bowl back over the hot water, allowing the temperature to climb to, but not exceed: for dark 32C, milk 30C or white 28C. Remove the bowl and dry the bottom. You have now tempered the chocolate.
How to make an Easter egg: Step 3
Pour or spoon the chocolate into the clean mould. Tilt the mould so the chocolate evenly covers the entirety of the egg shape.
How to make an Easter egg: Step 4
Flip the mould over the bowl of chocolate and tap the back of the mould firmly so that the excess chocolate pours back into the bowl. Draw a palette knife along the top of the mould to give a straight edge.
How to make an Easter egg: Step 5
Now place the mould chocolate edge down onto the baking parchment on a tray and put into the fridge for 10-20 mins to set. Repeat the process with the other moulds if using.
How to make an Easter egg: Step 6
Remove the mould from the fridge and leave for 20 mins at room temperature before turning out the egg. Ensure the egg is released from the mould, but leave the mould over the egg for a few minutes, so that if the egg is very cold, any condensation will form on the mould and not on the egg. Remove the mould.
How to make an Easter egg: Step 7
To stick the halves together, heat a baking sheet in a hot oven for a few minutes. Wearing gloves, take two matching egg halves and hold them briefly on the hot tray just to melt the edges, then press the halves together, holding until stuck. Leave the join to set completely.
How to make an Easter egg without a mould
The easiest way to make an Easter egg is by using a mould. However, if you don’t have a conventional mould you may be able to repurpose something else.
You could be inventive and use plastic egg-shaped packaging. Often Easter eggs come in plastic that could be used as a mould. Alternatively, you could use a real eggshell to make mini chocolate eggs.
To do this make a neat hole in the base to remove the egg inside. Wash the shell and allow it to dry thoroughly before filling it with chocolate. Chill in the fridge for one hour before cracking off the shell to reveal a chocolate egg. To make these look more fun use a variety of chocolates.
Another idea is to buy an Easter egg and decorate it using slightly watered-down royal icing in a piping bag. This is a great way to decorate chocolate eggs because you can use a variety of colour and even use different piping nozzles to create shapes. The icing sets firm and looks really impressive.
Top tips for making an Easter egg
- If you are concerned that your chocolate coating is not thick enough you can add an additional layer of chocolate. Just repeat the method.
- To make the tempering process easier and cleaner we use an infrared laser thermometer to check the chocolate temperature. It takes a reading from the surface of the chocolate, just make sure you give the chocolate a good mix before taking a reading.
- Wear cotton or latex gloves when handling the chocolate egg, as bare hands may leave fingerprints.
- Once the eggs are set they can be stored at room temperature, but be mindful of keeping them out of direct sunlight.
How to decorate an Easter egg
To create a set-in contrasting design, use two colours of chocolate. Fill a piping bag with one colour and cut off the end to give a small hole. Before adding the main colour chocolate pipe a pattern across mould, in several directions. This could be swirls or zigzags or even writing, although bear in mind you will have to write backwards.
Use a small palette knife to remove surplus from around the top of the mould. Leave to set, then coat the mould with the contrasting colour chocolate as in the method above.
For a tasty surprise, you could also add extra chocolates to the inside of the egg. Before sticking the two halves together pop in a few nibbly chocolates such as Maltsters, Smarties, or Mini Eggs inside.
A very easy and classy decoration is to use edible luster. You can use a brush to spread this on the mould prior to adding the chocolate or brush directly onto the finished egg. Or for a more elaborate design, you could use royal icing to pipe a colourful pattern.
Where to buy Easter egg moulds
The eggs will need to set in the moulds for a minimum of 40 mins, so if you are looking to make lots of eggs it’s much faster to buy lots of moulds and make them at once, rather than waiting to de-mould the eggs and starting again.
Translucent moulds are easier to use as you can easily see how well the chocolate has coated the mould.
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