Fondant Easter Eggs

Photo: flickr user quamari

Ingredients

1/2 cup Butter

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 teaspoon Salt

2/3 cup Sweetened condensed milk

6 cups (about 1 and ½ lbs) confectioner's sugar

12 ounces 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 of a half-inch thick slab of paraffin wax (the type used in canning)

Preparation

In a medium-sized bowl, cream butter, vanilla, and salt. Blend in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Gradually add sugar, blending well after each addition until mixture becomes very stiff.

Turn out on a clean pastry board (or counter). Carefully knead in any remaining sugar. (NOTE - mixture should be smooth, and not sticky)

Divide fondant in half if making 2 flavors. Add desired flavoring. (see below) Cut each portion into the desired number of eggs. With palms of hands, mold each piece into an egg shape. Place eggs on a wax-paper or foil lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Dip eggs in dipping chocolate, and decorate as desired. (I use a 2-pronged cooking fork to dip the eggs, placing the tines into the bottom of the egg, dipping it into the warm chocolate, and turning it sideways to let the chocolate run onto the bottom. Let it cool a few seconds, and then slide it off onto the cookie sheet. Use the side of a dinner knife to push it gently off the fork if needed.)

Dipping chocolate: melt the wax and chocolate slowly in a double boiler over hot, (NOT BOILING) water. Stir with a wire whisk until melted and well-blended. DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED!!! Stir again before dipping each egg. If chocolate cools and thickens, place over warm water again and gently re-heat. Let chocolate dry thoroughly before decorating. Store in refrigerator.

Tools

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About

I make rosebuds and leaves out of decorator's frosting a couple of days ahead. Using a decorator tube and more frosting, I make a ruffle around the circumference of the larger eggs, and then use dots of frosting to glue the roses and leaves in a little bouquet on the top of each egg. Another option is to write the recipient's name in frosting across the top of the egg. Or you can make little birds, crosses, bells, whatever you like. Play with your food! I have also made these in heart shapes, and filled them with strawberry-flavored fondant to give as valentines. A single rosebud and a couple of leaves makes them look lovely.

FLAVOR VARIATIONS:
-Coconut - Gradually knead in 1 and 1/2 cup flaked coconut for full batch (3/4 cup for half batch) of fondant.
-Almond - Use 1 teaspoon of almond extract in place of vanilla
-Cherry - DON"T use maraschino cherries - it will be sticky! To make cherry eggs, you must use chopped candied cherries ( the kind used in fruitcake)
-Nut - add pecan pieces or walnut pieces (about a cup)
-Other - I have also made strawberry, maple, walnut, lemon, and orange flavored eggs, simply by replacing the vanilla with the desired extract. Use your imagination! Rum-raisin comes to mind.

Trees might be nice for Christmas, bells for a wedding shower...