Happy Easter!
I hope you’ve all had a lovely couple of weeks!
We’ve been enjoying a little downtime – so much so that we didn’t get around to Easter chocolate making until just a couple of days ago. We’ve made up for it with a fairly manic (but very enjoyable) twenty-four hours in the kitchen, during which time we tempered over two kilos of dark, milk and white Callebaut chocolate.
This year, we tinted white chocolate with regular food colouring, and made these tri-coloured eggs. The large one below has a dark chocolate base, while the small one is a milk blend…
The white chocolate was tempered first and a portion was piped into the moulds. The remainder was tinted with red food colouring, and then piped over white. Once both layers had set, the moulds were filled with tempered dark or milk chocolate…
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A large handful of Pailleté Feuilletine was combined with our dark milk blend (50/50 Callebaut 811 54% and 823 Milk) to create crunchy “Kit Kat” chocolate eggs…
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Excess chocolate from each batch was used to make Easter lollipops (always popular with the littlies)…
And it wouldn’t be Easter without our nesting hens…
Our chocolate moulds were all purchased from Candyland Crafts – this is now the third year in a row we’ve used most of these, and they’re still in great shape. Not bad for $2 plastic moulds!
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Finally, we tried making roasted almond eggs this year, and began by toasting almond slivers tossed in Kirsch and icing sugar in the oven…
The cooled almonds were stirred into a large batch of dark tempered chocolate (blend of Callebaut 811 54% and Sao Thome origin 70%), and then ladled into egg moulds. The two halves were joined with bulldog clips before rotating and shaking…
We were very chuffed with the glossy eggs that popped out of the moulds…
They were a little uneven, but delicious nonetheless!
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So…has anything exciting been happening? Having a couple of weeks off the blog is like being on school holidays, and now that I’m back, I want to catch up with everyone. Hope you’ve all been well – I’ve missed chatting to you!
Wishing you all a relaxing, family-filled, happy and holy Easter! ♥
You are so nice, how lovely all these chocolates… Thank you dear Celia, Happy Easter and Weekend, love, nia
Thanks Nia! Happy Easter to you and your family! xx
Those are so beautiful and I’m sure delicious! ( those almonds made my day! I love roasted almonds- and add sugar- OH MY!)
I missed you, Celia- thoughts of you spending time with family and knocking about the city finding great foods and art!
Have a wonderful Easter my friend!
Heidi, you would love those roasted almonds – we have trouble not eating them straight out of the bowl! The Kirsch makes a big difference.. :)
I’ve missed you too darling, but it’s been lovely having a break! (I still caught up on all my chores, but I’ve decided I don’t care :)). Much love and Happy Easter to you and your gorgeous fam! xx
Happy Easter to you and yours too, Celia! Your eggs are absolutely amazing! So professional & so delicious-looking. The things you turn out in your kitchen are just astounding! And always inspiring! E x
Thank you, Elizabeth, you’re very kind! Happy Easter to you all as well!
Thanks for the Beautiful Chocolate Fix – Happy Easter:) Welcome Back from your escape/break! One exciting bit of news – started hiking again – hope to hit the mountains in a few months time – making big strides with my back injury. Happy Friday – Happy Weekend!!!
Renee, that’s fantastic news! Take it easy, ok? :) And Happy Easter!
Oh, these just look gorgeous – especially the ones with the almonds in them. I’m having a quiet Easter this ear. The Bloke is up in Byron Bay at the blues fest and I’m home nursing our youngest who has just had some (more) dental surgery. Poor kid – this is her third round of dental surgery, and I hope it’s her last.
No interestingly crunchy eggs for her – just plain chocolate that she can suck!
Amanda, I’m so sorry to hear that, she’s had a rough trot! I hope she’s feeling better soon. Big Boy goes in to have his wisdom teeth looked at soon as well. Have a peaceful and happy Easter, darling.. x
Celia – getting my chocolate fix vicariously! They look so pretty. Happy Easter to the gang. Nic x
Let me know if you change your mind, love! Happy Easter, see you all soon! xx
Celia, you are a magician in the kitchen! Your eggs look wonderful, I can almost smell them from here. Happy Easter lovely…. sending hugs.
Lizzy, thank you – we had great fun with them, as we do every year! Happy Easter to you and Peter! xx
They’re all so attractive Celia, you’re very talented! I particularly like your hen in a white basket. Happy Easter to you all :-)
Thanks Caroline! Hope you’ve been well! Have a wonderful Easter! x
Happy Easter, Celia, and much love to you and your family!
Misky, thank you, and Happy Easter to you all as well! How are the renovations going? I’m sorry I’ve been offline a bit over the past couple of weeks..
The remodelling’s coming along very well. I reckon another 2 weeks, and then we’ll be done for a while. The bathrooms need an update also, but we’re going to wait a bit so the dust can settle. :)
Happy Easter to you and yours . . . lovely to see your blog in the inbox . . .
Thanks Eha! Happy Easter! x
Those almonds look amazing Celia, what a great idea indeed!
I’m so glad you had a nice break- but I’m so glad you’re back now :)
We had our big Passover feast yesterday and no plans for the rest of Easter apart from lazing around nibbling chocolate!
Happy Easter and Happy Feaster to you and your beautiful boys sweetie :)
Becca darling, thank you, and all the best for a Happy Easter to you, BigJ, LittleJ and MiddleC! Hope it’s restful and wonderful for you all! x
Happy Easter Celia!
I’ve just returned from holidays…………..how lovely to find a chocolate post waiting for me.
Thanks Elaine, and happy Easter to you too! Hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Celia you’re so clever! They look just wonderful and so glossy. I think I’d have to pick an almond egg if I had a choice. I hope you had a wonderful break. Happy Easter!
Claire, the almond eggs are definitely my favourites, but it was fun to play with the different blends! Yes, thank you, had a wonderful break! Hope you and Will have a fabulous Easter! x
Those tri-colored eggs look awesome! All the chocolates look so nice and glossy! I’m always amazed at how nice your chocolates turn out.
A lovely Easter to all!
Manuela, thank you! I’m always amazed when the choccies come out of the moulds as well – I always hold my breath a little bit as we unmould them..
Happy Easter to you and your family! x
Just loving your chocolate Easter chicken! Lovely to have you back in blogland :)
Claire, has to be a chocolate chook, right? :) Thank you, and Happy Easter to you all!
I love the tri coloured ones! Have a blessed Easter Celia :)
Tandy, we always feel blessed! Thank you! Happy Easter to you and Dave!
Hello Celia, happy Easter to you! Those eggs look devine and so glossy! Tempering chocolate is an art form, well done!
I am new to this blogging world and have been a long time reader of your site. I would like to participate in your ‘In my Kitchen’ adventure for April. May I do this if I link it back to you?
Lisa, Happy Easter to you too! It would be WONDERFUL to have you joining in our IMK posts – please just let me know when your post is up, and I’ll add it to the list. And yes, please link back to my April IMK post, just so folks can see what everyone else is up to. Thanks!
Celia, this is really very, very impressive. I love the different colours. Happy Easter to you and your family!
Kari, thank you! The colours were fun to play with, although next year I’ll work on adding a little finesse to it – it was all a bit wild and swirly this year! Best wishes for a fabulous Easter! :)
Someone needs to build a big tube between your house and mine so that we can slide packages back and forth between each other. (Dibs on the chocolate!) Maz
Have a wonderful Easter, O Esteemed Papertoy Queen! Wouldn’t a long tube be fun? I could make the chocolates, and send them to you for boxing up! :)
That would be awesome! Willy Wonka himself would be envious. :-)
happy easter to all of you my darling celia! amazing beautiful chocolate artwork! you ‘re always a kind inspiration ! thx! hugs! ✿◠‿◠) gina
Gina, happy Easter to you and your family! May it be blessed and joyous! xx
Your chocolates look delicious as always! I wonder if you could use freeze dried strawberries to get that pink colour? I’m going to be attempting to make your hot cross buns this afternoon and impossible pie this evening. I am not known for my baking skills, so wish me luck!
Kate, my fingers are crossed for you – I’ll turn on twitter in case you need to chat. Happy Easter! :)
So beautifully tempered and shiny. I bow down before your chocolatey self. Happy Easter!
Thanks M! Wish you lived closer – I’d share! Happy Easter! :)
WOW! You’re a genius – they look amazing :-)
Sandy, thank you! We had great fun making them, and even more fun sharing them around!
Celia! I didn’t know you we’re this talented in yet another aspect of cooking – candy making! Working with chocolate beyond the basics frightens me! Absolutely beautiful!
Mimi, thank you for your kind words – chocolate tempering I can do, but for anything that involves hot sugar I need Pete to hold my hand! :)
Happy Easter Celia. I think you missed your calling, you should have been a chocolatier and had a little store. You do a wonderful job with your molds.
Aaah Karen, the problem with that idea is that then I’d have to make the same thing over and over again, and I’m notoriously bad with repetition! It’s why I never made a good piano player! :) Happy Easter to you and your family! xx
We missed you Mrs egg lady!
You’re so sweet Kavey, thank you! Hope you and Pete are having a lovely Easter! xx
We are up at the Vergemoli house waiting for the house to heat up after finally getting the heating to work. It is cold and STILL raining here and we are all sick of it. I feel for all the businesses depending on a fine Easter to get people out of their houses and into restaurants etc.
I hope you are enjoying a lovely time with your family.
Deb, the rain has been just crazy for you – I can’t believe it’s still going! I hope the sun comes out soon! xx
Incredible! I can’t get over how shiny they are…amazing job! I could definitely get into some of those right now. Perfect with my tea! Hope you have a lovely Easter with your family :) xx Em
Thanks Em, and happy Easter to you all as well! I used my new spoons today! xx
I knew you would be making your own Easter eggs. How gorgeous they all are and I think tinting the white chocolate pink was a lovely idea – the three colours are so pretty. These are so much better than what the Easter bunny provided for my three – they had to settle for Red Tulip and Cadburys. Happy Easter to you and all the family xx
Thanks Charlie, and Happy Easter to you, Carl, Archie, Arabella and Alfie! I was aiming for a redder colour, but didn’t want to put *too* much food colouring in! :) xx
We’ve all been waiting for you!! Well, I know I have been anticipating a little peek at your chocolate making skills, I just knew you’d do some for Easter and you didn’t disappoint! How pretty with the three colors of chocolate.. and the Kit Kat version.. oh, my .. I think I’ll go break off a piece of chocolate right now and pretend it’s yours:D Happy Easter!! xx
Barb, thank you! The kit kat eggs have been the biggest hit so far, even though I prefer the almond ones! Hope you’ve had a wonderful Easter! xx
You’re amazing making you’re own eggs!
Clare, thank you! We always do! :)
I’m absolutely loving the sound of the Kit Kat ones-I haven’t made my own eggs for ages but I saw a great decorating idea in a shop although I was a bit too late this year. Next year! :D
They were very popular! :)
Sensational chocolate as usual Celia. Have you ever thought of going into business? Happy Easter x
Jane, thank you – yes, thought about it for a micro-second, and completely discarded the idea! :D