These easy recipes use Easter egg chocolate in a fun and innovative way and are simple enough for children to help with.
Chocolate Dessert Roses
Recipe by Fulvio Pierangelini, Creative Director of Food - Verdura Resort, Sicily
Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate (or an Easter Egg)
150g corn flakes
20g butter
Method:
1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it using a Bain-Marie.
2. Once the chocolate has melted, add the butter.
3. Put the cereal into a bowl and pour the melted chocolate over it whilst mixing gently until each flake is well covered.
4. On a baking sheet with parchment paper, spoon the cereal and chocolate into similar sized balls.
5. Leave in the fridge to set for at least an hour before serving.
Fulvio's advice:
• Use a variety of chocolate including dark, milk and white
• Alternatives to cereal: flaked almonds, dried fruit, puffed rice or quinoa
• The butter must be added cold
Chocolate Paintings
Recipe by Fulvio Pierangelini, Creative Director of Food - Verdura Resort, Sicily
Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate (or an Easter Egg)
20g butter
Grated ginger or lemon/orange/lime zest
A pinch of salt
Method:
1. Freeze one or more plastic cutting boards covered with foil at least an hour before beginning.
2. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it using a Bain-Marie.
3. Once the chocolate has melted, add the butter.
4. According to your preferences, add either a pinch of salt or the citrus zest/grated ginger for added flavour.
5. Using a teaspoon or small pastry bag, paint flowers, draw animals, write beautiful words with the melted chocolate on the frozen cutting board.
6. Leave them in the fridge to set for at least an hour before serving.
Fulvio's advice:
• The container where you keep the chocolate must be completely dry; a single drop of water compromises the quality of the chocolate.
• When choosing citrus peel, it is essential that the fruit used is natural, organic and not treated with chemicals.
Chocolate Mousse Surprise
Recipe by Fulvio Pierangelini, Creative Director of Food - Verdura Resort, Sicily
Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate (or an Easter Egg)
20g butter
6 eggs
Meringue or biscuits
A pinch of salt
Method:
1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt slowly using a Bain-Marie.
2. Mix in a knob of butter and stir well.
3. Break the eggs separating the yolks from the whites and put into two bowls.
4. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk them until stiff.
5. Pour the melted chocolate over the yolks whilst stirring immediately to avoid cooking the egg.
6. Gently fold the whipped whites into the chocolate and egg yolk mixture.
7. Mix in the meringue or biscuits.
8. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Fulvio's advice:
• If you wish, replace the meringue with crumbled dried fruit or fresh berries.
• If you don't want to use a Bain-Marie, you can melt the chocolate in a microwave oven, being careful not to burn it.
With Mother’s Day fast approaching, there’s no better time to plan a getaway for some of that much-needed girl time. Whether you fancy a touch of culture, a weekend of shopping or a serene spa break, we’ve found the best cities for a mother-daughter getaway, however old your girl is.
While air travel becomes ever more functional, the pleasures of the train are undeniable. you can lose yourself in a book, chat with your favourite people or watch from the window as scrolling landscapes unfold. A rediscovered love for rail journeys and a move towards more sustainable travel has fuelled a European-wide rail revolution over the last few years – but Italy has been running its brilliant services for decades.
For Marc Ducobu, chocolate isn’t just an ingredient; it's an art form. And, as an award-winning Belgian chocolatier and ‘pastry maverick’, he knows a thing or two about it.
