How to Use Leftover Easter Eggs!

I have to admit that this is not my own photo, I got it from freeimages.co.uk

I realise that to many people, me included, leftover chocky is a very strange concept but in my line of work it's still something I have to deal with so this post refers to leftover chocolate Eater eggs and not at all, at all to leftover boiled eggs.

There are, of course, numerous ways to use the lovely stuff and one of the easiest is just to eat it!  Sometimes, however, you might need to stretch the chocolate amongst a few people or you'd like to make a big thing of it so here are some suggestions.

Chop Chocolate and then ...

~   Sprinkle on ice cream or creamy desserts or stir into trail mix and go for a walk.
~   Stir into cake or brownie recipes. 
~   Have a chocolate sandwich!
~   Make Chocolate Chip Cookies - see my useful key cookie recipe here.

Chocolate pieces can also be add to chocolate friendly recipes, for instance ...

Chocolate Pancakes 

See here for the basic pancake recipe but do the following or you will end up with a real mess.

~   DO NOT add the chopped chocolate to the pancake batter.

~   Follow the recipe instructions and as soon as you have poured the pancake(s) into the pan sprinkle with the chocolate then spoon a little more pancake batter over the top.

~   Continue the recipe.

Serve for breakfast with good strong coffee.

Melted Chocolate

Use leftover melted chocolate to drizzle on, say, freshly baked cookies or to dip things such a pieces of fruit or stir stuff into like with those Rice Krispie things we used to make. There are some important rules to melting chocolate ...

~   Put leftover chocolate into a bowl and out the bowl into a small pan of simmering water so that the water comes about a third of the way up the bowl, and here’s a tip; stand it on a metal jam jar lid or similar to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

~   White chocolate is a little more delicate than dark and must be melted carefully over very low heat. 

~   Don’t mess with the chocolate as it melts just let it sit till there till it’s ready then stir till smooth. 

WARNING If you get water into the melting chocolate it will go all hard, lumpy and useless.  For this reason Do Not Cover as steam will condense on the lid and fall back into the chocky.

Hot Chocolate for One - maybe you!

~   Gently heat 250ml of milk till very hot but not boiling.

~   Stir in 50g grated or chopped chocolate (the darker the better) and stir till melted.  Do Not boil but you can simmer gently, whisking all the time, if you'd like the mixture a little thicker.

~   Taste and sweeten if necessary - I like to use light brown sugar for a fudgier flavour.

~   Add some flavouring if you like; a drip of vanilla or brandy, a pinch of crushed instant coffee granules, a sprinkle of cinnamon or maybe a little chilli syrup! 

~   Pour into a pretty cup, sip and grin.

Chocolate Ganache

This is very, very simple and nowhere near as posh as it sounds.  Weigh the chocolate, coarsely chop it and put into a bowl.  Bring an equal quantity of double cream (eg. 100g chocolate and 100ml cream) almost to the boil, pour over the chocolate and stir till smooth.   

Use as a hot sauce, cool till thick and use to ice a cake or chill and whisk as a lighter chocolate frosting or chill severely and roll into balls to serve as truffles - maybe coat with cocoa or chopped nuts or more leftover chocolate.

Dark, Milk or White Chocolate Caramel Sauce - all delicious

100g granulated sugar

50ml water

150ml double cream

90g coarsely chopped dark, milk or white chocolate

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

~   Set the cream beside the stove. 

~   In a deep saucepan over low heat stir together the sugar and the water till the sugar is dissolved and then bring to a boil.  Don’t stir any more but when it begins turning golden you can swirl it about a bit to even out the colour.

~   Cook to a deep golden brown watching carefully and swirling occasionally.

~   When you are happy with the colour add the cream and stir over low heat till the caramel which will have hardened has melted back into the cream.

~   Add the chocolate and stir till completely melted and mixed into the sauce.

~   Add the salt and vanilla extract and mix in.

If I can think of this many ideas for leftover Easter eggs, how many do  you imagine I have thought of for the othe 449 potential leftovers in my book Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers?

Incidentally Easter Bunnies can be used for all the above ideas ...

(I thank you Elizabeth!)

More chocolate recipes here.