Easter Bunny

While inventorying my molds last month, I had the opportunity to look at my Easter bunny trays more closely. It was then that I realized the PET molds were meant to be used to create 3D bunnies. The telltale sign was the combination of mirror-image bunnies and small divots  for alignment on the sides of the mold. 

But to use them that way, they required some surgery.

Now, I tend to be very reluctant to cut apart molds, even when doing so would make the molding process much easier. In fact, I've only done it once and under duress (one piece wouldn't mold evenly without doing so). I certainly wasn't thrilled, then, with the idea of violently cutting apart my bunnies. Nevertheless, armed with a pair of heavy duty scissors, I removed the edge of the mold and then carefully cut apart the bunnies, leaving enough around each shape to enable clipping the two sides together. (This results in some sharp edges, so caution is required when using them.)

I then polished the molds with cotton and alcohol to remove any fingerprints, before tempering some gold cocoa butter. With a new toothbrush and a pastry brush, I channeled Jackson Pollock and decorated the inside of the molds. I then set them aside to crystallize overnight at room temperature.

A day or two latter, I tempered some milk chocolate and poured it into one half of each bunny mold pair. Since the divots in the PET mold don't snap together or even fit snuggly (making their use in alignment more of a suggestion than anything), I lined up the pieces by eye as best I could and then secured them with binder clips. Then I rotated and tapped and rotated and tapped until the chocolate was evenly distributed. I let the chocolate crystallize in the fridge about twice as long as I normally would for bonbons to be certain they would unmold without cracking.

After thirty minutes, I slid a thin knife between the two pieces of plastic and gently worked it around the perimeter. I easily removed the first half of the mold and then with a little gentle encouragement removed the second. And voila! A chocolate Easter bunny! I unmolded the second one. They weighed in 92g and 22g.

You can certainly see the seam where the two pieces of the mold joined, but this is unavoidable when working with a PET mold. The more expensive polycarbonate molds tend to have sharper edges and align more accurately -- and many are held together with built-in magnets. The result is a much more professional finish. 

As for the gold splatter effect, it is reading more yellow than gold, but that still works with the season. It looks good against the milk chocolate finish. And the shine on the bunny confirms a perfect temper. 

It's been a while since I made my own Easter bunny and I intend to enjoy it this morning -- Easter Sunday. 

And later today, I may do a little research on polycarbonate 3D molds for next year.

Must. Resist. Temptation. 

Easter Eggs

In the process of organizing and inventorying my molds earlier this month, I realized that while I had intended to purchase a second polycarbonate Easter egg mold last year so that I could produce 24 pieces at a time, I had in fact never placed the order. I immediately hopped on Amazon and clicked "add to cart." The delivery estimate was a day in April. After Easter. I pulled out a few different egg molds to use instead, including a silicone one.

I also spent a week or so contemplating the flavour for this year. In the past, I've made strawberry, raspberry, peanut butter (one gianduja and one fudge), orange creamsicle, and even cream eggs. This year I was thinking I might try making a strawberry lemonade flavour, but at the end of the day pistachio white chocolate gianduja won out. Pistachio is having a moment, after all, thanks to the Dubai chocolate craze. My hunt for pistachio paste led me to the tiniest jar known to man. It cost $9.99, but at least I was able to buy it locally. Ingredients acquired, I was ready to make Easter eggs just as soon as the spirit moved me. 

Mid-month, I was pleasantly surprised when the mold I had ordered arrived several weeks ahead of schedule. Armed with two polycarbonate Easter egg molds, I decided there was no time like the present and gathered my tools.

I had much more success tempering chocolate using my microwave this time around. No overheating the chocolate for me! I shelled the two molds and let them set. Then I combined equal parts of white chocolate and pistachio paste to create the gianduja centre. My math, however, failed me. The recipe I reviewed said that 500g would fill 92 standard size bonbons. That's about 5.4g per piece, which meant that 300g should fill 55. Now, eggs are larger than standard bonbons, but there were only 24 of them, so I thought that should be enough to fill the eggs without having leftovers. Alas, I filled 19 eggs and was left with 5 empty shells. I decided to make 100g of peanut dark chocolate gianduja with the idea that I would keep these alternatives for any recipients who didn't like pistachios. I left them to crystallize overnight.

The following day, I used a chalk marker to write on the side of the mold so that I would know which eggs were peanut and which were pistachio. I tempered 300g of dark chocolate to cap the eggs and once they were set I prepared to unmold them. I started with the mold that only contained pistachio centres. Clearly I nailed the temper, because before I had fully inverted the mold, the eggs toppled out onto the tray. Luckily, none cracked. I pushed them aside. Not wanting a repeat, because that would make it impossible to know which eggs were peanut, I placed a cutting board over the second mold and inverted it. I then very carefully transferred the eggs, keeping the five peanut ones separate from the rest. Time will tell if my method actually worked!

The final step was to wrap them in foil. Naturally, I went with different colours to identify different centres. Dark blue for peanut and purple or light blue for pistachio. They look great! 

I have to say that I feel much better about the production of these eggs than I did about my assortments at Christmas. Maybe it's because I had more time, or because I know my microwave better now, or because I was in a very Zen space this time, but the tempering went smoothly, I was able to work very cleanly, and the eggs unmolded without any effort. A very successful production run!

And I can't wait to taste one on Easter Sunday.

Chocolate Easter Squirrel

Several years ago, perhaps during the pandemic, I treated myself to a Ferrero Rocher Squirrel for Easter. It caught my eye because it was different (i.e. not a bunny or an egg), but also because I was feeling a bit homesick at the time and was attracted to it because my father's nickname for me is Squirrel. I didn't read the label or pay much attention to the ingredients. I just had the gold-wrapped hazelnut chocolates in my mind. When I cracked it open on Easter Sunday, I discovered it was a hollow 3D chocolate figure. While I would have preferred a little more chocolate (given the cost), it had me contemplating what I would mold for Easter if I ever opened my own chocolate shop -- could chocolate Easter bears be a thing?

Fast forward to the present. As you know, last week I tried my hand at molding hollow 3D chocolate eggs for the first time. As I reflected on the results, I couldn't help but think that, unless there was a surprise hidden inside, they were a bit boring. I thought about the many chocolatiers who have taken to painting their molds in a Jackson Pollock-style splatter, turning their eggs into works of art. I did something similar a few years ago. Others have added candy, sprinkles, caramels, or other confections inside the egg. Last year, for example, I had a Peace by Chocolate hollow dark chocolate egg that held little white chocolate chicks and came with violet seeds. 

The Ferrero Rocher Squirrel is unique because it uses chocolate with inclusions to shell the mold instead of using nuts as a filling. The only other product I can think of using a similar technique is the soon-to-be-extinct Cherry Blossom. I wondered how the inclusions might impact the temper and fluidity of the chocolate, and by extension the ability to properly coat the mold, particularly when producing a hollow 3D piece by hand rather than in a factory with specialized equipment. I decided to try it out.

I combined some leftover dark chocolate with milk chocolate and tempered it. Then I added some chopped peanuts. After adding the mixture to half of the mold and clipping the second piece in place, I slowly rotated the mold in various directions to coat it. Then I popped it in the fridge, followed by the freezer, before unmolding. Now, this is where things went wrong. I was impatient. Instead of popping the mold back in the freezer for a few more minutes, I tried to release the mold even though I could see one section where the chocolate hadn't yet contracted away from the plastic. I cracked the egg. 

As you can imagine, I was disappointed, but at least I had proof of concept that this type of shelling was possible by hand. The following day, I melted down the cracked egg, tempered the chocolate, and tried again. This time the egg popped out of the mold easily and I could see the flecks of peanut throughout the semi-dark chocolate surface. 

I appreciate the beauty of the unadorned, well-tempered shell. And I think anyone eating this will enjoy the surprise of peanuts throughout. Because it was done by hand, the chocolate is thicker than that of the mass-produced chocolate squirrel, but no one's ever complained about more chocolate, am I right? Most importantly, though, it's a new approach to shelling that may have other applications in the future. 

Easter Carbs

What better way to break forty days of fasting for Lent than with carbs?

It's common among my friends and coworkers to give up sweets, potato chips, and/or pop during Lent. I admire their commitment and will power. I know we talked about this sort of thing when I was a kid attending a Catholic school, but I don't actually remember giving anything up myself. Maybe I did and was so traumatized by it that I've blocked it from my memory. Or maybe because it was a "small t" tradition, it wasn't overly emphasized in my family. Whatever the case, I don't normally participate in fasting for Lent.

In more recent years, though, I've picked up alternative practices. For example, for a few years in a row, I collected 40 food items to donate to the food bank. Another year, I selected 40 items to donate to charity (inspired by a 40 bags for 40 days challenge that just seemed to be a bit too much of a commitment). When you shift your perspective in this way, you find that there are many options to make an impact that don't involve food. Donate $40 to a local charity. Volunteer for 40 hours with a non-profit organization. Engage in 40 random acts of kindness. This is my preferred way to observe Lent, but everyone should do what works for them. 

Now, despite the fact that I haven't fasted, I'm still happy to participate in the breaking of the fast. From chocolate Easter bunnies to hot cross buns and everything in between, this is one calendar custom with delicious traditions.

Today, I'm happy to have an invitation to a turkey dinner. Naturally, I felt compelled to make dessert. Inspired by Facebook memories of Easter past, I decided it was time to make cupcakes again. French vanilla sponge with vanilla buttercream dyed a pale yellow and topped with rainbow Eggies (and a few with Junior Mints Eggs). The colour is on point and the flavour is top notch. 

But before I get to that, I'll start my day with one of the raspberry Easter eggs that I made earlier in the month. Alongside a cup of coffee, I'm sure it will be heavenly. 

I know I've said more than once that I thought a particular confection was my best work yet, but the response to these raspberry Easter eggs has been incredibly positive. The raspberry ganache centre had a beautiful texture and the addition of the lemon juice really brought out the fresh berry flavour. One day, I'll sell these in a very chic chocolate lounge. 

And of course, I can't forget to mention hot cross buns. Ever since moving to Cape Breton, I've been hunting for the best hot cross buns. Almost every year, I take off Holy Thursday and visit local shops and bakeries, buying all of the delightful things I can find. It's less about Easter and more about the start of Spring (which brings with it balcony coffees, gardening, and Birkenstock season). I've bought hot cross buns in North Sydney, Sydney River, Sydney, and Glace Bay. But there are two key issues. First, it's not uncommon to have to buy hot cross buns in large quantities. One year, the smallest pack I could find was 8. Now, as one person, I can't possibly eat 8 hot cross buns before they go stale and hot cross buns are the sort of thing were you eat one or two to get your fix and then you're over it for another year. The second issue pertains to the icing cross that is common here. I've seen it made with a very loose royal icing and I've also seen it made with buttercream. While it adds a delightful sweetness if consumed immediately after buying, leave it even a few hours and the sugar begins to absorb moisture from the air and the icing begins to weep and melt. It's a sticky mess (and that impedes toasting them when they're a few days old). 

Consequently, for the last few years, I've made my own hot cross buns. I use a small batch recipe that I found online, which makes only 6 small buns and I riff on that to make it my own. (Next year I may try cutting the recipe in half, because really 3 would be the ideal number to make.) This year, I used a bread lame to cut the crosses into the buns, thereby eliminating the need for an icing cross (I realize that traditionally a flour paste is used to bake the cross into the top of the bun, but it seemed like an unnecessary step). And I also glazed them with apricot jam, which gave them a delicious flavour. Next year, I plan to substitute apricots or blueberries for the more common raisins. (I may have to write a note to my future self so that I remember to try one of these variations.)

Until then, I'll enjoy this year's Easter carbs while I can, for Eggies and hot cross buns come but once a year.  

Happy Easter!