This recipe is very simple, but you do need silicon cupcake cups for it. I talk about what wine goes with chocolate in my April column on Winetrust100.
I’m on book deadline this month, so posts may be shorter than usual. I’ve not yet talked about my trip to Botswana have I?
In other news I’m thrilled to be on the Pink Lady Food Photography ‘Food and its place’ shortlist with one of my entries. I’ll find out next week if I’ve won. And, even more exciting, I’m shortlisted as online food writer of the year at the Fortnum & Mason awards in May. Hmm, what shall I wear?
Easter egg nests
For this you need silicon cup cake holders. This way you can ‘paint’ the chocolate inside then peel the insides off.
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 200 g cream cheese
- 125 g condensed milk
- 40 ml of double cream
- 1 tsp of vanilla paste
- 4 tbsps of Pedro Ximenez sherry or other dessert wine
- Mini chocolate eggs
- Chocolate powder
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate by putting it in the microwave for 30 seconds, no more. If it needs a little more time then stick it in for another 30 seconds. On no account, think, I’ll save time if I put it in for a minute. Chocolate can seize very quickly.
- Then with a clean dry pastry brush, paint the insides of the silicon cupcake holder. Paint it quite thickly, maybe leaving it to dry, then painting it again. You want it fairly thick so that you can release it from the silicon without it breaking.
- Put it in the fridge.
- Then whip the cream cheese, condensed milk, double cream, vanilla and finally PX together for around five minutes until it thickens. Place it in the fridge to chill.
- Once the cream mixture is chilled, remove the chocolate silicon holders from the fridge. Using your thumbnail, lift the chocolate on the sides from the silicon, going all away around the holder. Gently pull away the silicon and push up from the bottom to remove the chocolate, which will now be a shell in the shape of the cupcake holder.
- Place on the plate you are going to serve it on (you don’t want to handle it too much) then scoop the cream mixture inside. Decorate with mini chocolate eggs and some chocolate powder.
Congratulations! I think you should wear the aubergine dress x
Thank you Helen! Maybe the dress with aubergines on for Pink Lady (I really need an apple dress don't I?) and the tea cup dress for Fortnums?
Hi, honey! I can't access the chocolate nest recipe, I get an invalid link comment. Looks delicious!
Are you calling me honey because of what I said on my Facebook? Cheeky! Thanks for letting me know, link is fixed now.
Congratulations! Good to know Fortnum's have taste.
Thanks chloe x
Your photo of the blue cheese frittata on the linked page is gorgeous! Congratulations on the nominations.
Oh thanks caramel xx