With each holiday that approaches, I’ve been trying to reassess the habits I have and products I used to purchase, so I might enjoy the traditions I’ve become accustomed to, but do so in a way that respects the planet and her inhabitants.
Cadbury Creme Eggs have long been a favourite of mine (despite my mom’s version of the Easter bunny only offering yogurt covered raisins wrapped in recycled aluminum foil) and are one of the many treats I can no longer indulge in due to my new eco wisdoms and ethical ideals. So, I found a way to make them more consciously and thus enjoy old habits with new morals intact.
It’s a lot more work than buying a pack of palm-oil filled un-ethically made chocolates from the shop, but I guarantee it’s worth it. This makes around 15 eggs, depending on size, and I’ve adapted the ingredients list from Food52 to make it vegan friendly and Fair Trade.
- ½ cup Lyle’s golden syrup (The first time I made this I used Lyle’s golden syrup but I couldn’t find it in France so I used agave nectar instead, which works fine but doesn’t taste as good!)
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened / ¼ cup vegan butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon Numi Ceremonial Matcha Powder
- 12 ounces dark organic, palm oil free, fair trade chocolate
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment (this can also be done by hand or with a hand mixer). Add the golden syrup, salt and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Mix until completely smooth.
- If you’d like to have a separate colour on the inside, place ½ of the mixture into a small bowl and add the matcha powder, mixing it with your hands until it is smooth. Leave the other half it’s natural colour. Cover both bowls in reusable linen bowl covers (plastic wrap and aluminum foil are hard on the planet) and put into the freezer for at least 15 minutes so that it cools down before you work on it.
- When the sugar mixture is thoroughly chilled, remove from the freezer and roll the matcha free mixture into small balls and the matcha mixture into balls double the size.
- Place the smaller balls on a tray lined with silicone free unbleached wax paper and put them back in the freezer.
- With the larger matcha balls, gently flatten each one in your hand and make an indent in the center to put the white balls, then cover it up and roll the matcha into an egg shape. If the mixture gets too soft and is no longer malleable put it back into the freezer for a few minutes.
- Continue this process until all your eggs are complete and put them back in the freezer.
- While the eggs are chilling, temper the chocolate. There are two methods: microwave or stove top.
- Working with one egg at a time, remove the egg from the freezer and stick a toothpick in it (I didn’t have toothpicks so I unwrapped a paper clip which worked alright). Dip the egg into the chocolate and carefully let the excess chocolate drip off. Place the other end of the toothpick into something – like a potato, perhaps – so the chocolate can set.
- Place the chocolate-covered egg in the fridge for 10 minutes to let the chocolate set. Carefully remove the toothpick from the egg and cover up the small hole with a little bit of tempered chocolate.
- Et voila!
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