Leftover Easter Egg Ideas

Yes, I know that Easter isn't quite upon us but I like to be prepared. LOL There will be the inevitable glut of Easter eggs and leftover chocolate goodies post festivities so I thought I would blog a couple of recipes that can utilise any excess chocolate eggs that need to be repurposed.  These recipes work well whether the Easter eggs are of the expensive posh variety or the supermarket multibuy variety.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I've deliberately kept the instructions simple for this recipe and included step-by-step phtotos because my 3 daughters like to bake these cookies themselves.  Should you wish to keep your kids amused during the second week of the school holidays, and use up some of the leftover Easter egg mountain, then this is the recipe for you. 

These cookies are legendary around my daughters school and my daughters friends.  They are rich and buttery but not soft and squidgy.  You can use chocolate chips, chocolate chunks or broken up pieces of leftover hollow Easter eggs.  I've used smarties instead of chocolate chips before and served them up at kids parties.  You could add some chopped glace cherries too for some extra flavour.  I've used dark chocolate chunks and chopped dried apricot as a flavour combination in these biscuits in the past and they were delicous!  Whatever you decide to put in them, give them a whirl, they are very tasty indeed.

2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
185g butter, melted
1 cup light soft brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 free range egg
1- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips/chunks or broken up pieces of leftover Easter eggs

Preheat your oven to 180C.  Line some baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Sift together the flour and baking soda.  Stir them together and then add in the chocolate chips/chunks.  In another bowl or large measuring jug mix together the cooled melted butter with the sugars, vanilla and egg.  Beat thoroughly to combine. 

Mix the wet ingredients with the sifted dry ingredients and the chocolate chunks until completely combined. 

Put large spoonfuls of the cookie dough onto the lined baking trays bake for 12 - 15 minutes. 

The cookies should be just starting to go golden around the outside.  Cool on the baking trays for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mini Creme Egg or Caramel Easter Egg Muffins

My daughters and I made these muffins this afternoon.  They are so easy to make and perfect for this time of year when unexpected guests arrive for a cuppa.  They are also fab for using up leftover mini size solid or filled Easter eggs.  You could put squares of caramel chocolate, Rolos, Lindor Truffles or any other ganache or caramel filled mini chocolates in the muffins.

2 1/4 cups self-raising flour
2/3 cup caster sugar
125g melted butter, cooled
185ml milk
2 free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 small caramel filled Easter eggs or the variations mentioned above

Preheat your oven to 180°C.  Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar and stir to mix them together.  In a large measuring jug beat together the milk, cooled melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix gently but thoroughly until well combined.  Don't over beat the mixture or the muffins will be tough and heavy, not light and lovely.  I usually tell my daughter to fold the ingredients together and stir it only 10 - 12 times as that should be enough to get everything mixed together well.  We also use either a flat wooden or plastic spatula to fold the mixture together with rather than a spoon as we've found it to be more effective.

Spoon some of the muffin mixture into the paper cases until they are all about 1/3 full.  Put an Easter egg into the middle of each cupcake.  Then spoon over the rest of the muffin mixture, evenly filling the paper cases.

Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, or until light golden and cooked through.  Leave the cupcakes in the muffin tin to cool for about 10 minutes.  Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

These muffins are delicious! My husband ate two in quick succession when he arrived home from work and saw them on the cooling rack in the kitchen, luckily they were cool enough to eat.  He got told off by our daughters for having them before dinner. LOL Make sure you wait until they are completely cool to eat them though as the caramel will be piping hot, you don't want a burnt mouth or tongue.