By Sam, worthing west sussex, uk

Re: my own easter eggs
20 Mar 2008 14:34

are under way!!!!

its sooooooo easy.

Replies

By Sam, worthing west sussex, uk

Re: my own easter eggs
20 Mar 2008 14:36

I have made my little itty bitty ones, plain and white chocolate, they in the fridge setting, can't wait to stick them together.

and the actual eggs, have had 2 coats of chocolate (milk) am aiming to have 4 coats, but see how the choccy situation goes.

For anyone making there own, can i suggest a handy hint.

dollop about 3 big tablespoons worth of melted choc into your mould, and then sort of twiddle the mould around, when almost all covered, use back of the spoon to just sort of smear it up the sides a bit - does that make sense?

Sammy

By gerry

Re: my own easter eggs
20 Mar 2008 17:20

Gosh you are clever, Sam. I wouldn't know where to start. How do you get them egg-shaped.

By Sam, worthing west sussex, uk

Re: my own easter eggs
20 Mar 2008 17:29

hurumph!

another handy hint.

when you make your first half of egg, don;t use, freshly melted chocolate, let it cool for a good 10 mins before doing first layer.

if not you will find, as i have just done, that egg half is impossible to remove from the mould.

leave each layer 20 mins in the COLDEST part of fridge to set before doing second layer etc etc till you have done it 4 times.

another handy hint... don;t have any body else in the kitchen while dis-moulding accidents happen!!

and you have to start all over again.

Another handy hint...don;t forget to fill you egg half before you put your top shell ontop.

I kind of wish i hadn;t started as it looks like a 5 year old has done it, but i am sooooo glad i have done it.

They look so glossy and shiny.

oh and another handy hint, apparently your egg may and i stress the "may" dis-colour slightly, go a bit "white" but that is nothing to worry about, perfectly edible you done nothing wrong, its something to do with the fats in the chocolate re-setting or something or other technical.

Sammy

Gerry, I got the idea from Aprils Good Food Mag, they had a reader offer of one egg mould and little bunnies for £17.99, i asked on here as i thought that was way too expensive, and i finally after trying for 3 days got an order from lakeland for £2.99 for 2 moulds and 36 mini egg moulds.

You literally melt chocolate then re-mould it into your mould.

Sammy

By gerry

Re: my own easter eggs
20 Mar 2008 17:36

Thanks, Sam. I hadn't known egg-moulds existed. Your description of method is very helpful.

By Sheelagh, Rossett nr Chester

Re: my own easter eggs
20 Mar 2008 20:26

Thanks SAM!!!
I am doing mine tomorrow and will note all you good advice!!!!
Will let you know how mine go on.
The one about not forgetting to fill the egg had me LMAO!!! It's just the sort of thing I would do!!
xxx

By Sam, worthing west sussex, uk

Re: my own easter eggs
21 Mar 2008 15:33

How are your eggs going Shee?

Can't wait to hear from you, and hear about your exploits with melted chocolate, and the mess and fun.

Sammy

By Sam, worthing west sussex, uk

Re: my own easter eggs
21 Mar 2008 19:02

come on shee...how are your eggs...am itching to know...

By Sheelagh, Rossett nr Chester

Re: my own easter eggs
21 Mar 2008 19:21

Hi Sam!!
Well - I have the 4 large halves in the fridge - they have had three coats and I am just about to do the 4th - and then leave them in the fridge overnight. Tomorrow I shall start earlier in the day and then get them done a bit earlier.
I also have 24 little baby eggs all done and joined up! - looking very sweet - some of them had uneven surfaces but a good blob of choc between them seemed to solve that! - They look a touch rustic - but very sweet and made with love!

My BIG question is to do with the big eggs - how on EARTH do you un-mould them without breaking them??? I am really worried I am going to break them - please tell me how you did it.

My only major disaster (so far) apart from chocolate everywhere! - was that I wasn't paying enough attention when heating the second lot and it went and seized - but nevermind I had plenty more!

I am so glad you reminded me about remembering to fill the eggs before sealing them - just the sort of thing I would have done!

Anyway - any tips about unmoulding would be gratefully received!

PS How many did you make in the end?

I plan another dozen baby ones and 4 large ones in total

Love from Sheelagh x (aka Chocolate Fingers!)

By Sheelagh, Rossett nr Chester

Re: my own easter eggs
22 Mar 2008 08:15

Yeah! - they're out! - dead easy in the end and not as difficult as I had thought it might be.
Wow - they're so heavy compared with shop-bought ones - just shows how much more chocolate there is in them! The only problem is that the edges are a bit raggedy - thought I would use a knife dipped in boiling water might help to smooth them out a bit.....
Anyway - now I need to make more!
Thanks Sam - without you I never would have thought of doing them!

By Gravy Queen, Buckingham Pantry

Re: my own easter eggs
22 Mar 2008 09:55

I've seen the photographic evidence of Sams eggs and can assure you they are beautiful! Very eggsiting! Well done girls!

GQ x

By Sam, worthing west sussex, uk

Re: my own easter eggs
22 Mar 2008 15:14

Thanks Gravy for those VERY kind comments!

Shee, they are buggers to get out aren;t they, need a little gentle but firm persuading to come out.

I did break one of my halves, which was the first one i did, with the choclate too hot - which i s why i advised to make sure you let it cool a good 10 mins before starting.

so what i did, was just break that egg all up and re-melt it, and start again.

I have only made 2 big ones, and stuffed them with the mini eggs, so far....OH has fotten jealous and wants one himself!

your right they are heavy aren;t they (what choc did you use? i used cadburys dairy milk sold in a 400g bar)

when i gave the neices there eggs, they had not long eaten smartie eggs, and they were the same size as mine, and on the box it said the egg weight was 94g, mine with just the shells were 250g and with the contents almost 400g.

I made up the cake boxes, and put yellow shredded crepe paper in the base to act as a nest, i couldn;t get shredded yellow tissue paper, and crepe paper doesn;t go through my shredder, so i had to have patience of saint - yet again to cut very thin strips, I brought those little fluffy chicks, and put a couple in the box, and scattered some of my mini eggs in, a couple of mini creme eggs, and the cadbury mini eggs also.

the neices loved them, especially as i had written (very badly) their names on the eggs. even m,y 17 yr old neice was in raptures about the eggs, and they couldn;t believe I made them - how i have no idea as they looked very "clumsy".

Its quite labourous but very rewarding making your own isn;t it.

So glad i was able to pass on hints and tips for you.

Love Sammy

By Sheelagh, Rossett nr Chester

Re: my own easter eggs
22 Mar 2008 16:08

The only problem I had in the end was the edges - that they just weren't level at all - obviously just my lack of skill/attention to detail.
So when I joined the first big one up using melted chocolate - it did/does look a bit scruffy.
With the second one I tried a different technique - popped the egg onto a hot baking sheet for a couple of seconds - that worked much better - it was much neater. And when I then used that technique for the 2nd batch on mini ones! - they look fantastic!
2 more large ones underway - am getting fed up of chocolate smell - as I am being very good on my diet and haven't even licked my fingers!

By Sam, worthing west sussex, uk

Re: my own easter eggs
22 Mar 2008 16:19

i am quiet sick of the smell and thought of chocolate too....mind you don;t know how you have resisted licking your fingers, you should see the state of my pinny, its smoothered in the stuff, cos i got quiet ill after licking fingers too much and resorted to wiping, with my rough edges i used my sharpest knife run under the hot tap and scored away while still in the mould to get sort of even.

so do you think you would do it again?

Luckily easter only comes once a year eh!

its been lovely sharing this experience with you.

Sammy

By Sheelagh, Rossett nr Chester

Re: my own easter eggs
23 Mar 2008 07:41

Me too - it's been great to share.
I have 2 left to unmould now - will do the hot knife thing and the baking tray. I have taken photos of the ones for me children - ensconced (?) in their little boxes (old satsuma boxes from Tescos which I painted using a couple of tester pots!) - if you tell me how/where I could maybe post them up too. How do I get to see yours?

It's been lovely to share this experience with you Sam - Happy Easter, Sheelaghx

By Crafti Mum

Re: my own easter eggs
23 Mar 2008 17:57

Another top tip would be to use any plastic moulds that shop bought Easter Eggs come in.