Creme Eggs

I never got the allure of these eggs, but Sarah loves them.  You know the ones.  They appear at Easter, chocolate eggs that ooze a yellow yolk and white middle when you bite into them.  As soon as they started appearing in stores, Sarah wanted to buy them up, happily licking the sugary filling from the chocolate shell.

I may not be an Easter candy kind of guy, but I am the kind of guy who likes a cooking challenge.  And this is a cooking challenge if there ever was one.  Making these eggs is messy, and it's time consuming, and it's frustrating.  But when you bite into one and see that perfect yellow yolk encased in its white, it's all worth it.

These are, as cookie monster is fond of saying, a sometimes food.  They are basically sugar surrounded by more sugar.  But at least I know my homemade version is made from real ingredients, as opposed to who knows what is in the Cadbury ones, so I can feel a little better about my pregnant wife indulging.  These are also only a sometimes food as I will not be making them everyday, meticulously rolling tiny balls together, drenching my kitchen in chocolate, and cursing myself for starting down this road.

Thankfully Easter comes once a year, and we would hardly have an excuse to make these at any other time.  Although I am sure Sarah could think one up.  

Creme Eggs
Makes 15 eggs

1/2 c honey
6 T butter, softened
1/2 t salt
squeeze orange juice
1 t vanilla
3 c powdered sugar
yellow food coloring
12 oz chocolate chips

Whip honey, butter, and salt together.  Once smooth, add a few squeezes from an orange half and the vanilla.  Slowly add the powdered sugar.  Mix until completely smooth, scraping down the bowl.

Remove a third of the mixture to dye yellow.  Use as much food coloring as you like to get your desired color.  Cover both bowls with plastic wrap, and place is the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Remove the bowl of yellow mixture from the freezer.  Roll into small balls with about half a teaspoon of mixture.  Place balls on a plate, and return to freezer.

Now remove the white mixture from the freezer and form large balls with about a teaspoon of mixture.  Let chill in freezer again for a few minutes.

Make an indent in each white, as if you are making thumbprint cookies.  Place a yellow ball in each indent, and then roll everything together to keep the yolk inside.  Gently form into an egg shape.  Freeze while you melt your chocolate.

Now it gets messy.  Temper your chocolate, and dip your eggs however you deem best.  If you want smooth eggs with no flat side, use a toothpick (or a piece of spaghetti, like I did), and then stand your toothpicks up in something (like a sweet potato) to let the chocolate harden.  If you're not so concerned, you can just place the eggs on a wax paper lined plate.

Let chocolate harden before eating.