The supermarkets are awash with chocolate eggs.  It’s hard to believe that Easter is only a few weeks away. Every year I make rocky road for Easter.  Our  favourite rubble. Turkish delight, marshmallow, pistachio and shredded coconut. Smothered in dark chocolate. 70% Cacao of course.

This year I briefly flirted with the idea of making chocolate Easter eggs. I even purchased a mould. The grand plan was to make beautifully tempered chocolate half shells and fill them with home-made rocky road. Alas it’s not to be. Whilst I may be very adept at melting chocolate to ice cupcakes or make rocky road I have never, ever attempted to temper chocolate. In truth it all sounds so complicated. And time-consuming.

Enter Plan B. Buy some chocolate half shells and fill with rocky road. A great plan thwarted by one small point. I couldn’t source unfilled, chocolate half shells anywhere.  Fortunately I’m a lateral thinker, My light bulb moment? A whole is made of two parts. Why not simply cut an Easter egg in half ? Easier said than done? Perhaps.

One carton of brightly foiled eggs later I found my solution. It is easier to slice the top off an Easter egg than attempt to cut it in half. Easter eggs are fragile. They shatter easily. A hot serrated knife slices through the top of an egg quickly and beautifully. Like butter. No hacking required.

So here are my store-bought chocolate Easter eggs filled with my home-made rocky road. Minimum effort. Maximum effect.

Store Bought Easter Eggs Filled With Home Made Rocky Road

Makes 1 dozen

a  carton of a dozen hollow chocolate Easter eggs purchased  from the supermarket

For the Rocky Road
200 g Turkish delight
200 g marshmallows
1/2 cup pistachio kernels, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
200g  dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

STAND a serrated knife in a jug of hot water. When heated through, remove the knife from the jug and wipe dry with  a paper towel. Working quickly carefully remove the top of the chocolate Easter egg. For a clean edge I like to wipe the knife clean and reheat for each egg. The hot knife should cut through the chocolate egg like butter. Return the prepared egg shells to the carton. Save the tops of eggs to melt with the dark chocolate.
MELT the chocolate and Easter egg tops in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Use a metal spoon to stir occasionally until the chocolate is smooth.
CUT up the Turkish delight and marshmallows quite finely with kitchen scissors dipped in cornflour. Place into a large mixing bowl. Add pistachios and shredded coconut. Stir well to combine.
ADD to the melted chocolate a spoonful at a time . Stir well to combine.  Once completely coated in chocolate carefully spoon into the prepared chocolate Easter egg shells. Decorate the tops of the eggs with small pieces of marshmallow or Turkish delight coated in a little icing sugar and rolled by hand into mini eggs.
CHILL in the refrigerator until set. About 20 minutes.

Post script. After filling the eggs I had some rocky road left over. I spooned it into my Easter egg mould. Hopefully it will release easily. Que sera sera. Whatever happens I do know it will taste divine.