With Easter less than a week away… you must be thinking about bunnies, coloring eggs and of course chocolate in the Easter basket.  I got my 20# box of chocolate out this weekend and my favorite filling recipes and turned my kitchen into the Easter Bunny’s workshop.  I added a new filling this year that is filled with Fresh From Oregon flavors, hazelnuts and cranberries.  I took some hazelnuts out of the freezer (the best place to store them) and toasted them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 3-4 minutes.  I then opened a box of dried cranberries I found the other day while shopping.  These dried cranberries are grown and produced by the Vincent Family on the Southern Oregon coast, they cultivated their first cranberries in 1957, read more here about their story.   So with these two great Oregon flavors and my fudge recipe I created a Hazelnut Cranberry Fudge filling.  I also made my family’s other favorite fillings: coconut almond, peanut butter and pecan fudge caramel.  These melt in your mouth recipes are easy and quick to make and the taste of homemade chocolate eggs will be the perfect surprise for your family and friends this coming Easter.

Once you have made your fillings and shaped them into eggs they will be ready to dip in the chocolate.  I use a good grade of melting chocolate wafer, Merckens.  You can find them at your local stores that sell candy making supplies or order online.  It is best to melt in a double boiler or a bowl placed over simmering water.  I find it is easier to dip just the bottoms in the chocolate first and let it set, about 10 minutes.  Then when you dip the top into the chocolate you will have something to hold onto, the only downside you will need to lick the chocolate off your fingers often.  You can also place that set chocolate bottom on a fork and dip it into the chocolate.  Remember to place a piece of parchment paper on the pan you will place the eggs on to set the chocolate, this keeps them from sticking to the pan as the chocolate sets.

Hazelnut Cranberry Filling:
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 bags)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares, chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing extra to hang over the sides and spray lightly with cooking spray, set aside.
In a double boiler toss chocolates, baking soda and salt.  Stir in condensed milk and vanilla.  Stir 2-5 minutes until only a few pieces of chocolate are left.  Remove from heat and stir another 2 minutes, the mixture will become a little glossy.  Stir in the hazelnuts and dried cranberries.  Spread evenly in the prepared pan and let set for 3o minutes.  Once cool enough to handle cut into 12 even pieces and make into an egg shape.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set for about 1 hour before you dip them in the chocolate.

Peanut Butter Filling:
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups peanut butter
5 cups confectioners sugar
Cream together butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an stand mixer until creamy.  Gradually add the confectioners sugar and mix until combined.  Shape into the size eggs you want.

Coconut Almond Filling:
1 cup butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 pound shredded coconut
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and confectioners sugar.  Add coconut, condensed milk, almonds and vanilla, mix until fully combined.  Chill in refrigerator about 30 minutes and then shape into any size egg you want.

Pecan Carmel Fudge Filling:
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 bags)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares, chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
6 ounce caramel squares
2 tablespoons milk
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing extra to hang over the sides and spray lightly with cooking spray, set aside.
In a double boiler toss chocolates, baking soda and salt.  Stir in condensed milk and vanilla.  Stir 2-5 minutes until only a few pieces of chocolate are left.  Remove from heat and stir another 2 minutes, the mixture will become a little glossy.  Stir in the pecans and spread evenly in the prepared pan and let set for 3o minutes.  Once cool enough to handle cut into 12 even pieces and make into egg shapes.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set for about 30 minutes before pouring caramel over.  To melt caramels unwrap and place caramels and milk in a bowl over simmering water and stir until melted.  Pour about a tablespoon of caramel over each egg, if it drips over the side its Ok.  Let set 5 minutes and eggs are ready to dip in the chocolate.