Home-made Creme Eggs

Ingredients:

200g butter, softened
2 tsp salt
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
2kg icing sugar
brown sugar, for dusting
1 tsp yellow food colouring
450g chocolate (either milk or dark or a mix, depending on your preference)
50g paraffin wax, to harden the chocolate (optional)

Method:

Cream together the butter, salt and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add them condensed milk and cream to combine then beat in the sugar until thoroughly mixed. Blend the mixture until stiff then turn onto a clean work surface, dust with brown sugar and knead until smooth.

Cut off just more than 2/3 of the mixture and set aside. Add yellow food colouring to the remaining mix and blend until it is completely yellow. Divide both the yellow and white portions into about 20 pieces. Shape the yellow pieces into balls (these are your 'yolks') then mould the white dough around the yellow balls before shaping to resemble eggs. Place on greaseproof (waxed) paper and set aside to dry for 24 hours at room temperature.

The following day chop the chocolate and add to the top of a bain-marie (double boiler). Heat above simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth (you can also add a little paraffin wax, if desired as this will prevent the chocolate from melting if you handle the eggs too much). Take of the heat and dip the eggs in the chocolate to coat evenly. Place the coated eggs on greaseproof paper and set aside to cool at room temperature. Once cold refrigerate to harden completely.

The eggs can be served whole, but look spectacular if sliced as the chocolate coating hides a white filling in which there is a yellow 'yolk'. These are great sliced on trifles and cakes as well as making excellent gifts for children.

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