Easter Chocolate Nest

This chocolate nest is an eating experience like no other, and perfect as the centrepiece for your Easter gathering. The snap of rich dark chocolate twigs combines with the silky, buttery cheese to form an unbelievably melt-in-your-mouth medley of both flavour and texture.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves: 40

Ingredients

400 good-quality dark chocolate

1 wheel of Fromager d’Affinois Le Fromager

Method

1. Cut 3 squares of baking paper, about 30cm x 30cm in size. Scrunch them up, then unravel and flatten.

2. Temper the chocolate by placing it in a microwave-safe plastic bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Once you have 50% solids and 50% liquid, stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted. If you have some resistant buttons, you can gently heat the chocolate with a hair dryer while stirring.

3. Transfer the tempered chocolate into a paper piping cone or zip lock bag and cut a small tip off the end.

4. Pipe twig shapes onto the baking paper, ensuring they are not too thin.

5. Allow to set at room temperature for 20 minutes before gently peeling off the baking paper.

6. Arrange the chocolate twigs around the top of the Fromager d’Affinois Le Fromager wheel to create a nest-like border.

7. Finish by arranging small Easter eggs on top of the chocolate twig.

Chocolate Bunny Ears With Blue Cheese

Cheese and chocolate are an irresistible union of two of life’s simplest pleasures. Good-quality milk chocolate balances perfectly with the tantalising tang and bite of a good quality cheese such as Fromager d’Affinois blue cheese. An instant crowd pleaser, these bunny ear cheese wedges are sure to wow your guests!

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves: 20

Ingredients

200 g good-quality milk chocolate

5 wedges of Fromager d'Affionois Bleu

Method

1. Print a sheet of individual rabbit ear templates, about 10cm x 3cm in size, and place underneath a sheet of baking paper.

2. Temper the chocolate by placing it into a microwave-safe plastic bowl, and heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Once you have 50% solids and 50% liquid, stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted. If you have some resistant buttons, you can gently heat the chocolate with a hair dryer while stirring.

3. Transfer the tempered chocolate into a paper piping cone or zip lock bag and cut a small tip off the end.

4. Using the template as a guide, pipe the chocolate onto the baking paper to create bunny ears, ensuring the lines are not too thin.

5. Allow to set at room temperature for 20 minutes before gently peeling off the baking paper.

6. Cut the cheese into wedges.

7. Using the chocolate ears as a guide, make 4 marks where they will be inserted into the top of the cheese with a toothpick.

8. Using the toothpick, widen the holes to ensure they are large enough to press the chocolate ears into the cheese.

9. Gently place 2 chocolate bunny ears into each wedge of cheese.

Kirsten Tibballs is a celebrated chef and popular guest judge for Masterchef. Find out more at https://www.fromagerdaffinois.com/en/