+GF
I’ve recreated a nearly perfect Cadbury Creme Egg with this recipe, but with completely vegan ingredients! Let me stop you right here—I didn’t ditch the sugar, and these are in no way “healthy.” What they are is delicious and a re-creation of one of my childhood favorites. And in that sense, we nailed it. We even took the time to add dyed yellow “yolks,” just to be authentic and such. But don’t worry, no chickies were harmed in the making of these gems … just my waistline! —AS
MAKES 16 EGGS
½ cup (95 g) and 2 tbsp (24 g) sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) hot water
¼ cup (57 g) vegan butter
1 tbsp (15 ml) unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt
3 cups (390 g) powdered sugar
A few drops of yellow food coloring (we used Color Garden brand pure natural food colors)
10 oz (285 g) chocolate chips or chopped bar chocolate
8 egg-shaped molds (or any-shaped molds, really!)
Heat a small pot over low heat. Pour in the sugar and water, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl.
Add the butter, milk, vanilla and salt, and beat the mixture together. Pour the powdered sugar into the bowl about a cup (130 g) at a time, beating continuously until a thick fondant-like paste forms.
Scoop about three-fourths of the mixture into a small bowl and the remaining quarter into another small bowl. Into the smaller bowl, add a few drops of yellow food coloring and stir until the entire mixture is evenly dyed. Set it aside.
Using the double-boiler method, melt the chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate into the molds, gently turning the mold pan to evenly coat the inner molds. (Obviously we used an egg shape, but if you only have a heart shape, use it! You could probably also just roll the fondant-like sugar mixture into balls and dip it in chocolate, but no guarantees on how they’ll look.) Tap out the excess chocolate and pop the molds into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to harden.
Once hardened, fill the molds about two-thirds of the way full with the white fondant mixture (which for us was a little under a tablespoon [14 g]), then add a small amount of the yellow fondant mixture (a bit under a teaspoon [5 g] for us) to the middle. You want the eggs nearly full, but not so full you can’t easily add the chocolate top layer. Place the molds back into the fridge to set the fondant layer, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Once set, gently pour the melted chocolate over the top of each filled egg mold, using the back of a butter knife or spatula to scrape any excess chocolate from the top of the molds. Pop the molds into the fridge or freezer to set, about 30 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened and set, you can immediately enjoy the creme eggs! Otherwise, see the note below for saving them.
Note: This makes sixteen 2-inch (5-cm) eggs, or you can get crafty and apply a bit more melted chocolate to the backs of 2 half-eggs, connecting them to make 8 large creme eggs.
These are best kept refrigerated or in a cool place, but are fine on the counter (or in an Easter basket) for several hours. They last up to a month in the fridge or indefinitely in the freezer.
*SEE PHOTO INSERT