William Curley’s Maple-Filled Easter Egg

For the maple salted caramels:

• 160g whipping cream
• 1 vanilla pod (split and scraped)
• 300g sea salted butter (at room temperature)
• 60g glucose
• 400g maple sugar
• 100ml pure maple syrup (preferably dark syrup for its robust taste)
• 500g dark chocolate
• 200ml water

For the Easter egg:

• 600g dark chocolate (minimum 65%), finely chopped (or use chocolate chips)
• 40g cocoa butter
• Optional gold, bronze, copper and amber lustre for decoration

Equipment:

• Half egg-shaped chocolate mould x2
• Small square chocolate moulds
• Kitchen thermometer
• Piping bag
• Optional gold lustre for decoration

First, make the caramel filling:

1. Gently boil the cream and the vanilla pod together and leave on the side.
2. In a saucepan boil together the maple sugar, glucose and water.
3. Cook on a high heat to form an amber caramel.
4. Take the caramel off the heat and carefully add the cream, stirring continuously. Stir in the maple syrup.
5. Gradually add the butter and stir until fully combined then leave to cool.

Make the tempered chocolate casing and fill with caramel:

1. Finely chop the chocolate and set aside one third.
2. Slowly melt the remaining two thirds in a metal bowl over a saucepan of hot water, stirring regularly and ensuring the hot water doesn’t boil or touch the bottom of the bowl.
3. When the chocolate reaches 45-50C remove it from the heat.
4. Add the remaining third of the chopped chocolate to the mixture and stir continuously until it cools to 28C-29C. Gently warm back up to 31–32°C. Your chocolate should now be in temper.
5. Pour the tempered chocolate into the mould and tap vigorously to remove any bubbles.
6. Tip the mould upside down so the leftover chocolate falls into a bowl leaving a thin layer covering the mould casings.
7. Leave in a cool and dry place to set.
8. Pipe in the cooled caramel into each mould casing until almost full.
9. Cap the tops of the chocolates with the remaining tempered chocolate and allow the chocolates to completely set for a minimum of 30 minutes. When set, gently tap the chocolates out of the mould.

To cast the egg:

1. Melt the cocoa butter and place into 4 small containers, mix each of the lustre colours into the containers.
2. Use a brush to decorate the egg mould.
3. Temper the chocolate using the same method as the caramels.
4. Fill the chocolate mould with the tempered chocolate.
5. Scrape off the excess chocolate with a knife and tap the sides of the mould to remove any air bubbles.
6. Allow the chocolate to sit inside the mould for 2-3 minutes so it starts to set.
7. Turn the mould upside down over a bowl and tap the outside so the majority of the chocolate falls out into the bowl to leave a shell of chocolate coating the inside of the mould.
8. Turn the right way up and scrape off the excess chocolate with a knife.
9. Place the mould upside down on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
10. Repeat the process so you have two halves of the egg.
11. Leave them to set for 1-2 hours in a cool and dry area.

To seal the egg:

1. Once completely set, pop the eggs from the moulds.
2. Place one half of the egg on a bowl or tart ring to hold it in place.
3. Place the maple caramels inside half of the egg.
4. Using the back of a warm saucepan, level the eggs.
5. Place a small amount of tempered chocolate inside a piping bag and pipe around the inside edge of the egg half. Place the other half on top and allow to set for 1-2 minutes.
6. Pipe bulbs along the seal of the egg and allow to set for a further 5 minutes.
7. Brush gold lustre onto the chocolate bulbs.