Recipe: Paul A Young’s Chocolate Fondant Eggs

As Easter draws closer and closer, why not try to whip up your own Easter treats for family and friends? Paul A Young’s recipe for chocolate fondant eggs is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser…

Paul A Young & Sainsbury’s Chocolate Fondant Eggs

Ingredients

1kg dark chocolate
500g fondant
100g caster sugar
½ tsp yellow gel food colouring
Extra flavourings such as orange, peppermint or coffee

Method

1. Over a bain-marie, melt the chocolate to a maximum temperature of 55°C. do not let the water boil or simmer, but keep it hot and allow the chocolate to melt for at least two hours.
2. Pour two-thirds of the chocolate on to a marble slab, leaving the rest on the heat. Spread evenly over the slab with a palette knife and scrape back together with a triangle scraper. Repeat this action until the chocolate cools to 27-28°C and begins to harden. Scrape the cool chocolate into the warm chocolate and mix well until fully incorporated. The temperature should now be a working temperature of 31-32°C. to check if the chocolate is tempered, dip the end of your palette knife into the chocolate and place aside to set. It should set with a shine and be crisp. Once you have your bowl of tempered chocolate, maintain the working temperature by warming briefly on the bain marie.
3. Clean your egg moulds well with cotton wool until shiny. Fill the moulds with chocolate until they overflow. Scrape off any excess chocolate, then tap the mould on the counter to release any air bubbles. Put the mould aside for a few minutes until the chocolate starts to set. Tip out any excess chocolate and scrape the mould to create a clean finish. Refrigerate for 15 minutes until the chocolate has set and release from the mould.
4. Meanwhile, grate the fondant into a mixing bowl. Put the sugar in a pan with 100ml water and simmer for one minute. Allow to cool until just warm and add to the fondant, mixing well until it becomes a smooth paste. Place 4tbsp of the fondant in a small bowl and add the yellow food colouring, mixing until evenly coloured. Here you can also add in some flavouring for a different take on the classic chocolate fondant egg.
5. Remove the eggs from the mould and place on a clean tea towel so they don’t roll away. Carefully spoon or pipe the fondant into the egg, leaving room for the fondant yolk, then add they yolk. Using your finger or a piping bag, apply a small amount of chocolate around one half of the eggs. Swiftly bring two halves together to seal the fondant.

And voilà!

Fondant Egg video supplied courtesy of Paul A Young and Sainsbury’s. 

MORE EASTER: Hot Cross Buns Recipe / 11 Most Outrageous Easter Eggs for 2017 / 12 Ways to Keep the Kids Happy this Easter