According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the United States and the fabled rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.

If you are making this craft with a preschooler or toddler you are likely to want to want to do the cutting for them (especially the feet) but younger kids can cut out the triangle for the beak especially with some help. While molding the chocolate there is a point when you will have to turn the mold upside down to get rid of excess chocolate. If chocolate is too runny, you might find that all the chocolate falls off instead of the "excess" part. Runny chocolate means inappropriate (too high) temp chocolate. Make sure that you wait until chocolate reaches about 30C / 86F 3. Chocolate is too firm

Place a clean parchment paper on the table or use Silicone baking mat. In this way, any chocolate that will end up on the table can be re-used

If chocolate is simply melted and then left to cool down, the finished product will not be glossy. If you make the small effort of bringing your chocolate to the right working temperature properly, you are guaranteed to get the desired end result. And that’s what we mean by tempering: bringing chocolate up to the right working temperature while making sure that the crystalline structure of the cocoa butter in it is stable. The Easter Parade tradition lives on in Manhattan, with Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street being shut down during the day to traffic. Participants often sport elaborately decorated bonnets and hats. The event has no religious significance, but sources note that Easter processions have been a part of Christianity since its earliest days. Today, other cities across America also have their own parades. Lamb and Other Traditional Easter Foods the surface of the mold should be as clean as possible, make sure you properly clean it with the scraper as it will have an impact on how easily you can remove the chocolate figure from the mold later For this Easter chocolate figure I used a different method, I tempered the chocolate with cocoa butter powder. Compared to the seeding method I find the cocoa butter method even easier and more stable, with less opportunity for mistakes. Add 1% cocoa butter powder to your melted chocolate, i.e. ¼ teaspoon for 50g chocolate or ½ teaspoon for 100g chocolate. I am using a product from Callebaut called Mycryo and it is perfect. Buy any cocoa butter powder if Mycryo is not available for youWhen the eggs have finished soaking in the hot bath, transfer them to the ice water and set your timer for 13 more minutes. For a consistent happy baking experience always measure your ingredients with the help of a Digital scale.Cup measurement is an indicative figure onlyand not appropriate for making chocolate figures! When the timer goes off, remove the pan from the heat, but let the eggs remain in the hot water for 13 minutes (that’s another timer).

Caring for pets has long been credited with teaching children responsibility, trust, compassion, understanding, empathy and respect for animals and by extension other people. Parents who adopt pets from shelters teach children about the importance of saving a life and committing to the care of that animal for his or her lifetime. When you add chocolate to dishes as a flavor component (e.g. chocolate mousses), it suffices to simply melt it without tempering. Use chocolate according to the recipe bearing in mind the chocolate “working temp” and “set temp”. Once cocoa butter powder is well mixed into the chocolate, let it cool to around 30C /86F then start using the chocolate. The basic rule is that the warmer the chocolate temp the runnier the chocolate is. Chocolate will start to harden at “set temp” (27C / 80.6 F) and you won’t be able to work with it as it will get too solid. Meaning, you have to work with a chocolate that is approx. between 27-30C / 80.6-86F.

Whether you’re looking for a new decoration or some fun activities for the kids, these projects have something for everyone. While melting chocolate it has to reach 45C (white) 45-50C (dark). If by accident you overheat the chocolate or burn it, please start again. Chocolate molding can only be achieved with properly tempered chocolate 2. Chocolate is too runny Each variety or type of chocolate should be tempered before you use it to mold chocolates and hollow figures or to enrobe cakes and chocolates. In short, whenever chocolate needs to have a beautiful satin gloss and a hard snap, tempering is absolutely crucial.

Fill the egg whites with the deviled egg mixture using the piping tip to help you mound it over the top into a rounded peak. (You can also do this with a spoon, smoothed with a knife or offset spatula, but I think the piping bag is easiest.) Make sure first that you properly clean the mold(I am using vinegar and paper towel) as any residue will be seen on the chocolateWhere did the Easter bunny come from? The Bible makes no mention of a long-eared, short-tailed creature who delivers decorated eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday; nevertheless, the Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity’s most important holiday. The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. Chocolate work is really about following a few simple rules that are mainly related to good quality ingredients, equipment, and most importantly the right temperature. Allow the dark chocolate to cool at room temperature to 34.5°C / 94F, white chocolate 31.5°C /89F by stirring with a spoon turn the mold all around with your hands so the chocolate can reach all parts of the mold, make sure, you do not miss the edge! gently tap the side of the mold with the scraper to get rid of the excess chocolate - that should fall onto the table (and can be re-used later)