Will you get a strawberry, an aubergine or a lemon for Easter?

Clue: They’re all made of choccy ... and they’re this year’s cracking alternative to eggs

EAsTer is fastapproaching and, after the year we’ve had, many of us will be spending the next few weeks shamelessly guzzling chocolate. But if you’re looking for a traditional easter egg, you might be out of luck. In place of the usual milk, dark and white chocolate options, the shelves are full of strangely shaped creations that look nothing like eggs. From chocolate aubergines to shimmering gold pineapples and honeycomb-studded beehives, this year’s offerings have taken on a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.

We round up the weird and wonderful eggs designed to deceive your eyes (and your tastebuds) this easter...

POTTY FOR OWLS

£15, marksandspencer.com MODeLLeD on hedwig, the owl from harry Potter, this white chocolate treat is a must-have for JK rowling fans, even if shoppers have criticised the ‘extortionate’ price tag. It’s an unnervingly lifelike snowy owl — I feel like it’s watching me as I move around the room. The hollow bird comes with a milk chocolate letter. TASTE TEST: White chocolate tends to go down better with children than adults, and this is designed to appeal to younger tastebuds. It seems a shame to break the handsome bird into pieces, however it’s deliciously velvety, with a gratifyingly chunky shell. BEATS AN EGG? Yes, for children. 3/5

GIANT STRAWBERRY

£29.99, meltchocolates.com FrOM gourmet chocolatier Melt, which bills itself as ‘London’s most luxurious chocolate company’, this egg is cleverly disguised as a giant strawberry. It’ s proving so popular that it’s flying off the shelves. If it weren’t for its supersized dimensions, this could easily be a real fruit. The dark chocolate exterior is coated in bright red strawberry extract and there’s even a convincing green stem and leaves, hand-crafted from passion fruit-infused chocolate. TASTE TEST: Dark, velvety and just the right balance of tart and sweet, the strawberry chocolate really packs a punch — it’s vegan, too. The passion fruit stem is subtle, but it’s more interesting than regular chocolate. BEATS AN EGG? Yes. A real easter treat — if you can afford to shell out. 4/5

GOLDEN PINEAPPLE £20, choconchoc.co.uk

hANDMADe by somersetbased Choc on Choc, known for its innovative creations, this exotic pineapple is moulded from fine Belgian chocolate and covered in edible gold lustre. The glitter is a nice touch, but it leaves gold all over my hands. TASTE TEST: Deliciously sweet, creamy chocolate; at 415g it’s heavier than most full- size eggs and the sides are generously thick. I lift the lid to reveal a stash of milk chocolate buttons inside, which is a lovely surprise. There’s enough chocolate to last me a week. BEATS AN EGG? Yes. Transport yourself to sunnier climes with an easter pineapple. 5/5

EGGPLANT TREAT £6, marksandspencer.com

A PLAYFUL take on ‘eggplant’, the American term for aubergine, this vegan offering comes from M& s’s Plant Kitchen range — and looks uncannily like the cheeky smartphone emoji. When it was released in January, shoppers thought it was an early April Fool’s joke. With its shiny dark exterior and perfectly-crafted stem, this appears more like plastic than chocolate. It screams health food rather than sweet treat. TASTE TEST: The chocolate is intense and bitter, and it’s flimsier than some of the other eggs I tried. It could have done with another flavour, or an exciting filling. BEATS AN EGG? Not for me. More of a novelty purchase than an easter indulgence. 1/5

SPRING LEMON £3, waitrose.com

The creators of the iconic easter avocado, the fastestselling egg in Waitrose’s 114year history (sadly discontinued) are back this year with a chocolate lemon, designed to be eaten, not squeezed.

The same size, shape and texture as a lemon, it’s uncannily similar. But I’m not sure I want my chocolate to look like a sourtasting fruit. Also in the line is a chocolate pomegranate. Both are convincing fruit-a-likes. TASTE TEST: A smooth white chocolate shell flavoured with sharp, zesty lemon. The taste is a little artificial, like lemon extract rather than fresh fruit, and it overpowers the sweetness of the chocolate. BEATS AN EGG? No. It’s too small — and reminiscent of washing-up liquid. 0/5

BLONDE BEEHIVE

£14.99, aldi.co.uk ALDI’s specially selected egg has to be the most beeautiful beehive I’ve ever seen. The giant egg is made from ridged ‘blonde’ chocolate (caramelised white chocolate) and dotted with milk chocolate bees. It also comes with 12 salted caramel and milk chocolate truffles. TASTE TEST: If you — like me — have a sweet tooth, this is sheer indulgence. The blonde chocolate tastes mellow and nutty, and it’s studded with honeycomb pieces and chunks of bee pollen. The tiny bees burst with gooey caramel. BEATS AN EGG? Miles better than a boring old egg and would make an elegant gift. 5/5

PRALINE SCOTCH EGG

£15.95, fortnumandmason.com BrITAIN’s finest grocer has given the scotch egg a makeover with this ingenious take on the 250-yearold savoury snack. Bigger than an average scotch egg, and an oval shape rather than round, this is unnervingly convincing.

The breadcrumbs are made from roasted hazelnuts and cocoa nibs, while the shell is simnel-flavoured milk chocolate praline. Cut it open and you’ll even find a ‘yolk’ of oozy orange ganache.

If the price tag’s a bit steep, you can always buy a heston Blumenthal-branded one from Waitrose for £6. TASTE TEST: With its nutty chocolate exterior, crisp shell and melt-in-the-mouth fruity centre. It’s teeth- clenchingly rich, but incredibly moreish. Before I know it I’ve scoffed it all. BEATS AN EGG? One hundred per cent. You’ll need a spoon, however; it’s more like a dessert than a crisp -shelled traditional egg. 4/5

CARAMEL SARNIE £10, hotelchocolat.com

IF egg sandwiches, are your thing, this one is for you: a white chocolate egg with caramel yolk, served on two slices of chocolate ‘bread’.

It’s incredibly realistic. The makers used 3Dscanned slices of wholemeal bread to create a convincing mould.

hotel Chocolat’s quirky easter offering also includes a toast and marmalade version. TASTE TEST: Although novel, this is just too sugary for me. The combination of the thick milk chocolate ‘ bread’, creamy white chocolate and runny caramel ‘egg’ is like tooth decay in a box. BEATS AN EGG? No. It lacks wowfactor and the flavours just don’t stack up. 1/5

CREAMY MILKSHAKE £6.99, aldi.co.uk

These alternative eggs from Aldi, which come in strawberries and Cream and Cookies and Cream varieties, have gone down a storm with shoppers, many of whom confused them with real milkshakes.

The ‘glass’ is hollow strawberry- flavoured white chocolate, topped with mini eggs, crunchy berry pieces and a white chocolate and raspberry-filled doughnut. TASTE TEST: sickly- sweet. The strawberry flavour is artificial and the decoration is just too much. The chocolate tastes fake; thin and cardboardy. BEATS AN EGG? No. Despite being impressive to look at. 2/5

SPECKLED HEN £9.50, montezumas.co.uk

ChIChesTer-BAseD chocolatier Montezuma’s is offering a whole coop of chickens in place of eggs this easter, including milk, white and dark chocolate speckled hens and chicks. These plump chocolate chickens aren’t dissimilar in shape to classic eggs — but are far cuter. Orloff, the milk chocolate hen, is my favourite, with white and dark chocolate flecks. TASTE TEST: The chocolate is thick, smooth and creamy. The differentflavoured flecks give a lovely mellow taste, with bursts of sweetness and bitterness. BEATS AN EGG? Yes. The chicken comes first this easter. 5/5