Chocolate Eggs with Royal Icing

You can see how I make the eggs in this reel. We will first make the decoration (flowers, letters, etc.) with royal icing. The decoration needs to dry for several hours or overnight, it should peel off of the parchment paper easily. We will then glue it onto the chocolate eggs with additional royal icing. You may pipe the flowers onto the chocolate eggs directly. However, I find it so much better to practice on parchment paper first. The good thing about this approach is that you can simply scratch off failures and put them back into the piping bag and try again. This is much harder to do on the chocolate egg. See also my photo with all the different decorations I practiced with.

For the royal icing you want to mix the sugar with the egg whites and mix it for a minute or two with a mixer. Mind you, I did it mine in four smaller batches. As long as you keep the icing in small airtight containers with a damp paper towel on top, it is possible to reuse on day 2 or 3. Mix the royal icing until you have the right consistency. Most likely you may have to add additional icing sugar, this icing is very thick, a spoon should be able to stand in it. You need it to be so thick to be able to pipe flours. You can transfer a small amount to a piping bag with a small tip and see if you can pipe, e.g. letters. Add drops of water to thin it out or more icing sugar to make it thicker. Divide the icing in smaller bowls and color in different colors. I usuallly like to leave a large part white, keep in mind that you will add a lace and something for the egg to stand on last at the very end. I had to redo the letters several times until I was finally happy. Let them dry for several hours or overnight at room temperature. The decoration should easily come off the paper.

For the chocolate eggs make sure your molds are very clean and dry. Using a paper towel, make sure there is no dust. Now use 200 grams of chocolate and bring it to 47 degrees on a waterbath (mind you, this temperature is according to instructions from Callebaut, you may need to increase temperature slightly more). While stirring, take off the waterbath and slowly add in in several steps about 100 grams more chocolate for it to cool faster. Reduce temperature to 27 degrees. The chocolate will become thick. Transfer back to waterbath again and let come to 32 degrees, it is now ready and tempered. Fill your molds about 1/3 and with a swirling motion make sure that the full surface is covered, you may scape off any additional chocolate, then turn the mold uside down on parchment paper and let it dry for 5 minutes. If your chocolate was tempered correctly, it will harden rather quickly. Transfer back the leftover chocolate to the waterbath and keep at 32 degrees. Repeat the process two more times, so that you have three coats of chocolate at the end. Let dry for an hour or two, your chocolate should get a nice shine. Pop prepared shells for 10min in the freezer (not longer!), it should be very easy to take out of the molds. Heat a frying pan and, using gloves, place the egg halves with the edge facing down in it for a few seconds in order for the chocolate to melt. Then take them out and glue them together. I did write some Easter greetings on paper and placed this inside before glueing the small eggs together, but I would not recommend filling them too much as they may break otherwise. Prepare all your egg shells this way, make sure to use all of the leftover chocolate, you can temper chocolate several times without any problem.

Once your chocolate egg shells are done, you can now glue on your decorations using additional royal icing. You may want to place them on a towel or use an egg cup for them to hold up. It is possible to decorate further with royal icing. I, for example, piped the green leaves and stems onto the chocoate eggs directly. Once you are happy, pipe a circle your egg can sit on on a piece of parchment paper. This will be the "stool" the egg can later stand on. Place the chocolate egg on it and stabelize e.g. with some mugs until your icing is dry so that the egg can stand freely. Best is to let it dry overnight. I piped on the lace all around the seam of the two egg shells last. Let everything dry and enjoy.