Friday, March 13, 2015

White Chocolate & Peanut Butter Truffle Easter Eggs - Recipe and 'How-To' for Using Simple Candy Molds


Buying exquisite gourmet chocolate Easter eggs are never easy on the budget, but don't fret this Easter because you can make your own beautiful chocolate eggs that look just like a Master Chocolatier's! And you know what?  All you need are four ingredients, and simple candy molds from Bulk Barn or any other candy or cake supply store.

It is definitely easier to use professional polycarbonate molds sold at chocolate supply stores like Vanilla Food Company or Chocolat-Chocolat, but at times we just don't have the budget to sink money into something we make just for family and friends once a year.  But for less than $5 at Bulk Barn, you can buy plastic egg molds and start experimenting at home. The trick to making your treats look professional is to be creative, and be sure to temper your chocolate.

Here is a recipe and instructions for making delicious truffle-filled Easter Eggs. It may look a little complicated at first, but use the pictures as your guide and once you learn the steps and try it a few times, making truffle-filled chocolate eggs will become easy!

See below for links to other truffle recipes for filling your chocolate eggs.

White Chocolate & Peanut Butter Truffle Easter Eggs (Recipe)
Makes 6 eggs of about 30 grams (1 ounce) each, or double the recipe for 12 eggs.
Time: 2 hours.

Tools you need:
  • Easter Egg chocolate mold (I have one from the Bulk Barn with 6 cavities for eggs - if you want to reduce time, buy two and double your recipe)
  • A double boiler (a pot with 1" of steaming - not boiling - water in the bottom on the stovetop.
  • Two dry stainless steel bowls for melting your chocolate in. Or two dry microwave safe bowls.
  • A bowl of ice water
  • Dry spatulas
  • A small or snack-sized Ziplock bag.
  • A small plastic or microwave-safe bowl for melting your dark chocolate.
  • 2 large pieces of waxed paper

Ingredients you need:
  • 340g (12 oz) white chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 55g (2 oz) Peanut butter (if using natural, be sure it is an extra smooth peanut butter with no grittiness)
  • 40g (1.4 oz) Coconut oil
  • 55g (2 oz) dark chocolate (semi-sweet or 70%, whatever you prefer) for the decoration

Make the chocolate egg shells

1. Melt and temper your dark chocolate in a very small microwave safe bowl. Here is the short version of tempering: Melt it for 2 minutes on half power, then stir until melted. Reduce your temperature by stirring over your bowl of ice water until it reaches 88 degrees Fahrenheit (or slightly cooler than the back of your clean and dry baby finger when dipped in).

2. Decorate the egg cavities in the mold. Pour the chocolate into the Ziplock bag. Cut a small hole off of the corner of the plastic bag.
Squeeze the chocolate out through the small hole and swirl your hand around over the chocolate mold to make whatever pattern of swirls or streaks that you like on your eggs. Do not overdo it, remember: Less is more! Set aside to let set.

3. Place two large pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap on the counter.

4. Temper 1/2 of the white chocolate. Place 6 ounces of white chocolate into a stainless steel or glass bowl. For detailed tempering instructions for white chocolate, click here. But otherwise, here are the steps: Remove 1/4 of the 6 ounces of white chocolate and set aside. Place the rest of your white chocolate in a stainless steel or glass bowl over a double boiler and stir constantly until melted and reaches 110 F. Then quickly reduce the temperature to 79 F by tossing in your reserved chocolate and stirring until smooth, then place the bottom of your chocolate bowl in the ice water for a few seconds, then remove and stir.  Keep doing this until your chocolate reaches a temperature of 79 degrees F (or if you do not have a thermometer, dip the back of your clean, dry baby finger into the chocolate and if it is slightly cooler than your finger temperature, it is ready to use). Be careful to not get a single drop of water into the chocolate!

5. Dry the bottom of the bowl of white chocolate.

6.  Pour your chocolate into the cavities of the egg mold and fill up each cavity completely or turn to fill up to the sides. Then flip the entire mold over and hold it parallel to the counter over one piece of  waxed paper, letting the white chocolate drip out onto the waxed paper. Tap the mold a few times, then flip it back over. Using a long straight clean ruler, offset decorating spatula or the back of a long, straight knife, scrape the chocolate off of the surface of the mold quickly and then flip upside down onto the second piece of waxed paper. Let set for 10 minutes, then flip back over and again use a straight edge to scrape any lingering white chocolate off of the flat surface of the mold, careful not to break the 'egg' shells in the cavities.

7. Set aside on the counter while you make your truffle filling.

For the White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Filling:

1. Prepare your coconut oil and peanut butter. Place your coconut oil and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Melt your coconut oil in the microwave until just melted (about 40 seconds). Then warm your peanut butter in the microwave for 20 seconds. Set aside.

2. Melt and temper 6 ounces (the remaining 1/2) of white chocolate. See above for tempering instructions.  

3. Combine and reduce temperature. Pour the coconut oil and peanut butter into the chocolate and stir with a spatula until combined.  Place over the bowl of ice and stir constantly, reducing the temperature to 2 degrees above room temperature (or until it just starts to thicken).

4. Pour into the chocolate egg shells. Immediately dry the bottom of the bowl and pour into your chocolate egg shells, careful not to get on the sides and to stay 1/8 inch below the edge of the shells.  Set aside.


Close the bottom of the eggs with white chocolate:

1. Seal in your egg and truffle centre with melted white chocolate. Melt the remaining white chocolate and temper it (as instructed in Step #4 of the 1st section (making the egg shells) above - melt to 110 F and reduce to 79 degrees F).  Once the chocolate reaches 79 degrees F, pour it onto your eggs and spread around to completely fill in the egg bottoms. Using an offset cake decorating spatula, a paint scraper, a long clean ruler, or the back of a long straight knife, scrap off the extra chocolate so the chocolate is only on the eggs in the cavities of the mold. Place the entire chocolate mold into the fridge for 2 hours to set and retract from the edges.

2. Remove finished eggs from the mold. Once set, take your chocolate eggs out of the fridge and place a cookie sheet over the top.  Then flip the cookie sheet and the mold over. Remove the mold from your eggs, tapping gently to get them to release. Wrap or serve however you like, but be careful not to get any finger prints on your shiny eggs - a lifter helps when transferring your eggs.

Feel free to e-mail me at info@ultimatelychocolate.com if you have any questions.

Don't forget to visit my Recipes page for Truffles Recipes - you can use any of them to fill your eggs (use the Red Wine Truffles recipe for a fun adult chocolate egg filling!)

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