{"id":2627,"date":"2008-01-02T11:10:06","date_gmt":"2008-01-02T11:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mostlyfood.co.uk\/wp\/?p=2627"},"modified":"2021-11-17T20:04:14","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T20:04:14","slug":"chocolate-filled-easter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mostlyfood.co.uk\/index.php\/chocolate-filled-easter\/","title":{"rendered":"Chocolate-filled Easter – story and recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"

The industry has been in a state of evolution since the first chocolate house was opened in London in 1657. No, I don\u2019t mean a house made of chocolate, nor a house in which one eats chocolate, but a kind of bar for chocolate. No, not a bar OF chocolate but a place for drinking chocolate. They advertised: “In Bishopgate St, in Queen’s Head Alley, at a Frenchman’s house, is an excellent West Indian drink called Chocolate to be sold, where you may have it ready at any time and also unmade at reasonable rates.”<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s only been an eating confection for about 10% of its history and for the masses it\u2019s only been affordable for an even shorter period of time. But so popular is it now that Easter wouldn\u2019t be Easter in the Western world without a healthy (or unhealthy) dose of it.<\/p>\n

For me the nicest and most memorable Easter egg was the first that my husband bought for me (ahhh, romantic, isn\u2019t it?). He bought it at some personal cost (not in money but in embarrassment) in Thornton\u2019s somewhere in West London. The clients had to write their messages on slips of paper which were then given to the staff member responsible for decorative calligraphy. Each egg was expertly inscribed with the sentiment in icing and then boxed and passed to the counter assistant. All very well so far but the next step is cringe-making. The assistant then bellows the message (\u201cI love you my sweet snookums\u201d, \u201cMy heart belongs to you my snuggles\u201d, \u201cForever your passion pixie\u201d) across the shop to the waiting customers, most of whom, being men, were covered in blushes.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t say I am a chocoholic but on the other hand I can\u2019t allow a piece of chocolate to remain unmolested. I\u2019m OK if I don\u2019t start but that first mouthful is my downfall. I do very well for chocolate gifts at both Christmas and Easter as the husband gets migraine if he has more than a couple of grams of either bar or egg. I guess I should tell our friends about the problem but…er, well…would you?<\/p>\n

You probably expect me to say that I only eat the best, the finest quality. Well, no. I love all types…apart from (sorry, American friends) Hershey\u2019s. I can understand why it\u2019s popular with woodsy, outdoorsy types as it does double-duty on a camping trip. If the soap runs out you can always use the \u201cCandy\u201d!<\/p>\n

\"Paul The UK hasn\u2019t got a fantastic reputation for high quality chocolates \u2013 apart from a few notable exceptions such as Paul Young (on Facebook<\/a>). Paul has elevated British chocolate-making to a new level. He now has two fantastic shops, well worth visiting (Islington and the City of London). You\u2019ll find award-winning fresh hand-made chocolates, bars, brownies and hot chocolate, all produced on the premises by Paul and his team.<\/p>\n

We probably like all those low-% cocoa butter confections because that\u2019s what we have been accustomed to since childhood. Some say it\u2019s not real chocolate, but I can live with that. It\u2019s evident that it doesn\u2019t compare to Paul\u2019s hand-made delights. The cheap bar in blue paper doesn\u2019t have the flavour nor, equally important, the texture of the finer chocolate. Perhaps we should consider them as completely different products and enjoy each one when appropriate. The ordinary mass-produced bar when we need a quick sugar fix, and the pure heaven of the silky, rich specialities of the craftsman when we want to spoil ourselves or others.<\/p>\n

I wish you all a peaceful Easter and to my Greek, Russian and Bulgarian friends I wish you a good Orthodox Easter for next month!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chocolate sauce to go over anything<\/h3>\n

100g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
\n10g butter
\n2 tbsp whipping cream
\n2 tbsp golden syrup, warmed
\n2 tbsp brandy or liqueur of your choice<\/span><\/p>\n

Slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Don\u2019t let the bowl touch the water.<\/p>\n

Remove from the heat and stir in the golden syrup, liqueur and cream, and use while it\u2019s still hot.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Article and recipe by Chrissie Walker \u00a9 2018<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

See more Recipes here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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