Easter chocolate bark

This attractive chocolate treat is a perfect alternative to Easter eggs, and it’s easy enough for the kids to make too

3 x 200g bars milk chocolate

2 x 90g packs mini chocolate eggs 1 heaped tsp freeze-dried raspberry pieces, or you could use crystallised petals

1 Break the chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Bring a pan of water to a simmer, then sit the bowl on top. The water must not touch the bottom of the bowl. Let the chocolate slowly melt, stirring now and again with a spatula. For best results, temper your chocolate (see tip).

2 Meanwhile, lightly grease then line a 23 x 33cm roasting tin or baking tray with parchment. Put three-quarters of the mini eggs into a food bag and bash them with a rolling pin until broken up a little.

3 When the chocolate is smooth, pour it into the tin. Tip the tin from side to side to let the chocolate find the corners and level out. Scatter with the smashed and whole mini eggs, followed by the freeze-dried raspberry pieces. Leave to set, then remove from the parchment and snap into shards, ready to pack in boxes or bags.

TIP: TEMPERING CHOCOLATE

Tempering is the process of heating then cooling chocolate to form a type of crystal in the cocoa butter. If we simply melt and cool shop-bought chocolate, it will quickly “bloom” with dots and streaks of cocoa butter. It melts quickly when touched too. Tempered chocolate will quickly set hard and shiny, won’t bloom, and shrinks as it cools, making it easy to remove from a mould.

HERE’S A SIMPLE METHOD:

1 Break up 3/4 of the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Melt until it is flowing and smooth. White chocolate should reach 43C, milk and dark 45C. Add the remaining chocolate, chopped into small pieces. Stir with a spatula until the pieces have melted and the thermometer shows 28C for milk and white, 30C for dark. This can take a while, so have patience and keep stirring. Use as soon as possible. If the chocolate starts to get too cold and thick as you use it, heat for just a few seconds and stir well.

PREP: 20 MINS COOK: 5 MINS MAKES ENOUGH FOR 6-8 GIFT BAGS