Yes, at this time of year, there is such a thing as ‘leftover chocolate’.
After the Easter celebrations die down and you simply can’t eat another egg, here are some ways to reduce all that chocolate from your precious cupboard space.
1. S’mores
During the school holidays, whether camping, on holiday or at home – s’mores makes a fun and easy treat to make with the kids. Carefully melt your left over chocolate in a dipping pot over a campfire or stove, then melt marshmallows over the flame. Once the marshmallows become gooey inside, dip them in melted chocolate and squish between two semi-sweet plain biscuits like digestives or milk arrowroot.
2. Chocolate Ice Cream Cups
Cool easter Eggs in the fridge or freezer. Once firm, cut the tops off and crush them into small pieces. Grab your favourite ice cream from the freezer and let soften a little before mixing with pieces of easter egg top. Fill the remaining easter egg cups with scoops of the blended ice cream and serve in glasses or mugs (depending on size).
3. Chocolate Egg Chip Cookies
Roughly break up or chop your easter eggs and add to your favourite cookie dough and bake as normal.
4. Rocky Road
Melt chocolate over a low to medium heat and mix in anything you like – from your favourite nuts to maltezers, extra small easter eggs, coconut, pretzels, biscuit pieces, or dried fruit. The key ingredient to add is marshmallows in different sizes. Once everything is coated in chocolate, pour into a lined brownie pan and flatten out as best possible (remember – this is not a pretty dish). Refrigerate for an hour or two then cut into rough pieces and enjoy.
5. Choc Chip Pancakes with Fruit and Melted Chocolate
Add chopped chocolate to your pancake batter and pour or spoon into greased frypan over low heat. Watch that chocolate doesn’t burn. Serve with your favourite fruit, ice cream and a drizzle of melted chocolate or dipping sauce (see number 7).
6. Muffin Surprise
Make your favourite muffin recipe and divide out your muffin mixture into patty cases as per normal. Before putting into the oven add a small chocolate easter egg into the centre of each muffin, being sure to cover the egg completely with batter. Once muffins are cooked they will have a surprise melted chocolate centre inside.
7. Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Break up an amount of chocolate into a bowl. Heat the same amount of thin cream over a medium heat until just before it reaches boiling point, then pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Use as a dip for your favourite fruit or to pour over pancakes (as number 5).
8. Spiders
Melt equal quantities of easter egg chocolate and peanut butter together. Mix in crunchy fried Asian Egg noodles and add spoonfuls of mixture to lined tray to look like hairy spiders. Refrigerate for a couple of hours and then enjoy!
9. Chocolate Toastie
Butter one side of your favourite bread and place butter side down in a pan or jaffle maker. Top with left over chocolate and another slice of bread – buttered side up. If in a pan, you’ll need to flip over once one side is cooked. If in a jaffle maker – simply toast as you would normally. Watch out – the filling will be melted and hot!
10. Hot Chocolate
Warm up milk to just below boiling point and mix in broken up pieces of chocolate. Top with whipped cream and more broken pieces of chocolate. Add marshmallows if desired.
Article supplied with thanks to Go West Gourmet
About the author: Kim Wilkinson is a media and communications professional who specialises in building community and valuable relationships