Robin eggs

You will need 12 small egg moulds between 4-6cm long

MAKES 12 EGGS INGREDIENTS

200g white chocolate 150ml double cream 250g plain (roughly 50-60% cocoa) chocolate 50ml brandy 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 75g dark (roughly 60-70% cocoa) chocolate

METHOD

Make sure your moulds are clean and dry.

Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using a clean paint or pastry brush, brush the inside of all of the moulds thoroughly with white chocolate, making sure all the plastic is covered. Place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Bring the double cream to the boil, then remove from the heat and allow to sit for two minutes.

Break the plain chocolate into chunks and stir in to the slightly cooled cream until fully melted.

Add the brandy and vanilla and stir again. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes at room temperature. It should be fairly cool to touch before use, but not cool enough to have thickened.

Transfer to a piping bag. Pipe the ganache into the moulds to fill them, making sure there are no air bubbles. Use a palette knife to flatten the ganache. Return to the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

To assemble, bring the moulds out of the fridge, turn upside down over a work surface and gently press the chocolate half-eggs out with warm hands.

Run a hot knife over the flat backs to melt the ganache a little and press two egg halves together. Sit carefully on a cooling rack to set. Repeat with the remaining halves.

Melt the dark chocolate as before. Flick with a firm brush or drizzle the chocolate over the white chocolate eggs to decorate, then return to the fridge for 20 minutes.

For a more authentic robin egg, brush a little edible baby-blue dust (available online and in cake shops) over the egg in a fairly slapdash fashion. I think it looks best when slightly uneven.