Homemade Chocolate Easter Eggs

Using real eggs: Use eggs that are mostly whole, ones that have only the end cracked off. Wash the insides thoroughly but carefully. If you have a baby bottle sterilizer you can put the eggs in it or you can also put it into a pot of boiling water for a few seconds. Set the cleaned and dried eggs inside an empty egg carton and spray the insides with cooking spray.

Using a candy mold: Wash and dry mold thoroughly. Spray with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl pour entire package of chocolate and place in microwave. Microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until the chocolate is almost completely melted (it should take about a minute and a half). Add extract if you are using a flavoring. There should be some lumps in the bowl. Just stir until all the lumps are melted. This is a form of tempering the chocolate and will give it a nice shine when dry.

Pour chocolate by the tablespoon full into shells or mold. If there’s any non-stick spray puddled inside the mold or shell, just swirl it around and pour out the excess before adding the chocolate. Swirl the chocolate around inside to coat. Turn the shells or mold upside down onto a cooling rack so the excess can run off (this will make a hollow center egg). You can also fill them up and make solid ones if you like. Allow the chocolate to cool and set, preferably overnight (or 8 hours) so that it’s good and hard. After cooling break the eggshell off the chocolate very carefully or tap the mold on the counter to release the shells.

To fill molded shells with candy: Put a Peep, jellybeans or whatever kind of candy you want (you can also use 1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter if you like) in one side of candy shell. Take another chocolate shell and VERY SLIGHTLY heat up the edges. Working quickly put the two sides together. Allow them to set up for a couple more hours. You can decorate the outside with colored chocolate from a piping bag, sprinkles, sugar or just about anything you can think of. I decorated mine that are shown with Pearl Dust, you can find it with Wilton products online or at most craft stores. The options are endless! Enjoy and Happy Easter!