Sunday, April 20, 2014

Too much Easter chocolate left in your house?

Is Easter day not yet over and you are already overwhelmed by how much chocolate is left in your house?  Use it to make something delicious! 

I've made all sorts of delectable desserts and truffles with good quality left-over Easter eggs. It is a great and inexpensive way to practise your skills as a chocolatier. And really, the most time-consuming part is peeling the foil wrappers off of each egg (but you can get your kids to do that part). Then, create something absolutely delectable.

Once made, pop the truffles in the freezer and take them out the next time you are heading to a pot-luck or add them to a dessert table at a party that you are hosting!


Here is the quick How-To:

Unwrap all of your leftover eggs (keep a few to enjoy, if you wish), or chop up any large, solid chocolate bunnies.

Make my Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles Recipe (click here for the recipe) or any of my other truffle recipes, such as the Almond-Nougat recipe if you have dark chocolate bunnies to use up. 


Basic Instructions (go to the recipe for more detailed instructions):
  1. Place your chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.  Then weigh it and see how much you've got!  Remove any extra and ensure you have 8 ounces of chocolate in your bowl.
  2. Measure out your 1/2 cup of whipping cream into a small saucepan.  Bring just to a boil. Pour over the chocolate and stir slowly with a wooden spoon until smooth.
  3. Add 1/2 cup of room temperature (or slightly warmer) peanut butter and stir until smooth.
  4. Let set for 8 hours or overnight (until stiff enough to roll balls).
  5. Wearing cooking or clean dish gloves, roll small balls between the palms of your hands.
  6. Roll each ball in cocoa powder, icing sugar, ground peanuts, Skor bits or finely chopped or shaved chocolate.  Place in mini cupcake papers and then in an airtight container and freeze!  Or consume within 10 days. Best if eaten at room temperature.

Coat your truffles in Skor bits, ground or chopped peanuts,
or more chopped or shaved milk chocolate Easter eggs!
 
And don't forget - tomorrow all that leftover Easter chocolate at the stores will go on sale!  So get down to your local grocer or pharmacy and pick up some really inexpensive chocolate to experiment with - just be sure to read the labels and buy the stuff with no artificial flavourings and NO hydrogenated oils.


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