Mini Easter Egg Lollipops

Method

• Tempering Chocolate:
• Tempered chocolate simply means melting chocolate, cooling it down and heating it up again slightly.
• Step 1: First, chop the chocolate quite finely and place 150g in a glass bowl. Melting the chocolate - there are two ways of doing this:
• Method 1: Microwave
• This is the way that I always use. PLEASE FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. Place the chocolate in a plastic the microwave and heat on the lowest setting for 1 minute.
• Stir with a spatula and heat again using the lowest setting for one minute.
• Repeat this until the chocolate is melted.
• DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO USE A HIGHER SETTING AS THE CHOCOLATE WILL BURN. Stir the remaining chocolate and leave for 5 minutes.
• Method 2: Bain-Marie
• Use a saucepan that is large enough to fit your glass bowl and half fill with water. Bring the water to the boil and remove from the heat.
• Place the glass bowl with the chocolate in it on top of the saucepan. Stir continuously until the chocolate has melted.
• Remove from the bowl from the saucepan and allow to cool for ten minutes.
• Step 2 COOLING DOWN:
• Stir the chocolate and add the remaining 50g of finely chopped chocolate
• Stir until melted and lump free.
• Now we need to reheat the chocolate – if using the microwave method, use the lowest setting and place in the microwave for FIVE SECONDS.
• If using the bain marie method – heat the water in the saucepan, remove from the heat and place the bowl with the chocolate in it on top of the saucepan for 15 SECONDS ONLY.
• Step 3 REHEATING:
• Check the chocolate is ready by dipping the tip of a teaspoon into the chocolate and set aside. The chocolate should be set/hardened in less than five minutes. It will be shiny and glossy.
• Step 4:
• Pour the chocolate into the eggs moulds. Make sure all the moulds are covered with an even layer of chocolate.
• Then turn the moulds up side down over the bowl to remove any extra chocolate. Allow to set in a cool, dry place – not the fridge.
• Scrape away any remaining chocolate from the mould. Turn out onto a sheet of cling wrap or baking parchment. Carefully ease out of the mould.
• There are may ways of filling the chocolate eggs.
• * Chop and roast 100g hazlenuts, mix with 100g of chocolate spread.
• * Melt 150g of white chocolate with 4 floz UHT cream and 2 floz raspberry coulie. Allow to cool and set. Then whip and fill.
• * 100g of milk chocolate melted stir in 50g rice crispies, 50g dried cranberries.
• Once filled pipe a little melted chocolate around the edge and stick together. Then dip a lolly pop stick into a little melted chocolate. Make a small hole into the easter egg and insert the stick.