It feels to me like we have only just got Christmas and Valentines out the way, but yet here we are at the end of March, the daffodils are blooming, the lambs are a lambing and spring has most definitely sprung. With only a few days left of the school term, Easter is now definitely firmly on the horizon.
Easter is always a lovely time in our household, spent with family, typically by the sea. Food wise, as well as hot cross buns & simnel cake, chocolate also features highly at Easter, just as it does on most other holidays. An abundance of chocolate Easter eggs have been in the shops over the last few months, encouraging us to stock up for our nearest and dearest. You may wonder how eggs are linked to the true meaning of Easter.... well the Easter story recounts how Jesus died & rose again on Easter Monday and so eggs are said to symbolise the Easter story & the start of new life - as a new life emerges from an egg when it hatches. So this is why chocolate eggs are given as gifts at Easter.
Purely for the good of my readers, I have kicked Easter off early this year and have already begun tucking into a delicious Easter Egg from Hotel Chocolat. I was invited to review an Easter Egg from the Hotel Chocolat range and chose the "Your Eggsellency" Extra Thick Easter Egg. The "Your Eggsellency" Extra Thick Egg contains a milk and a dark chocolate shell and 12 delicious soft centred truffles. I mainly chose this egg as the prospect of an egg filled with truffles was very exciting, and also because of the beautiful packaging - the egg looked so elegant and so grown-up! The packaging is a far cry from the cheap cardboard & plastic packaging you find in the supermarkets, and better for the environment as you can keep the box to store things in. Best of all it was vegetarian too.
This is what I found when I lifted the lid of the Easter Egg, two half shells wrapped in gold paper.
What amazed me most was the thickness of the egg - look how much chocolate is hidden underneath that gold paper! One shell is made with 40% Cocoa house milk chocolate and the other is made with 70% dark chocolate. The truffles were hidden away in the middle of the eggs.
Once unwrapped, I found that there are 12 truffles filled with soft cream ganache with flavours including champagne, pink champagne, vodka, amaretto and mojito. The mojito truffles were my favourite - they tasted absolutely delicious, closely followed by the pink champagne truffles - so decadent!
This Easter Egg left me lost for words as I have never seen an egg containing so much chocolate in it! At £26, it may not be the kind of egg you would buy for everyone, but this would be a perfect gift for your nearest and dearest or a special friend.
Hotel Chocolat have a great range of Easter gifts this year and the range starts at just £5. I love Buttons the Easter Bunny and Quackers the Duck (£6.50) - both perfect for the kids. The grownup range includes this Mini Pink Champagne Truffle Easter Egg (£8) and the classic Easter Egg "H" Box (£12). They also have some wonderful Extra Thick Chocolate Easter Eggs (£26) and you must take a look at these rather lovely Large Ostrich Eggs (£70) filled with Chocolates.
I think you could definitely find gifts for the whole family in Hotel Chocolat, and the quality, individuality and range of gifts is fabulous.
Giveaway
So how would you like to be in with a chance of winning a Hotel Chocolat "Your Eggsellency" Extra Thick Easter Egg of your own?Hotel Chocolat have kindly provided me with a "Your Eggsellency" Easter Egg to give away to one lucky reader of the Vegetarian Experience.
To be in with a chance of winning:
**Leave me a comment below, telling me which item from the Hotel Chocolat Easter range you would most like to receive and why. The range can be seen here **For an extra entry you can:
- Tweet the following: "I would like to win a #Hotelchocolat Extra Thick #Easter Egg with @veggiexperience" and leave me a comment to so that you have done so.
- Follow me: @Veggiexperience and leave me a comment to say are already following or have done so.
- Like the Hotel Chocolat Facebook page and leave me a comment to say you have done so.
- Like The Vegetarian Experience Facebook Page and leave me a comment to say you have done so.
- Follow this blog (or let me know that you already are).
Terms & Conditions: The winner will receive one Hotel Chocolat "Your Eggsellency" Extra Thick Easter Egg worth £26. The draw will close at 10pm on the 3/04/12 and only entries received before this time will be entered. There will only be one winner, who will be chosen via an online randomiser. There is no cash alternative or substitution available. The winner will be contacted soon after the draw closes and asked to supply their address to me which will be purely for the purposes of sending the prize to the winner. If no response has been received within 3 days, a new winner will be chosen. Entrants acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions by submitting a competition entry. For any questions or queries, please contact me. Thanks! Clare.
Disclaimer - I was provided with a "Your Eggsellency" Hotel Chocolat Egg to review and one to give away to a reader of my blog. All views are my own.
The champagne easter egg.....because i'm worth it!
ReplyDeleteplease leave me a name or email/twitter id Anonymous!
DeleteI'd like to have The Gianduja Truffle Easter Egg because it sounds delicious and my husband would like it too.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to win! Your Eggsellency looks mighty fine...
ReplyDeleteI follow you on twitter @DomesticJules
ReplyDeleteAnd I've just tweeted about the giveaway!
ReplyDeletePlus follow you on twitter!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to win your Eggsellency egg very much indeed!
ReplyDeleteI have tweeted this and follow you on Twitter
ReplyDeleteI have liked your Facebook page
ReplyDeleteI have liked Hotel Chocolat Facebook page too
ReplyDeletePS I am @gofreecakes on Twitter
ReplyDeleteA Rocky Road to Caramel Extra Thick Easter Egg because it looks AMAZING!!!
ReplyDeleteHave also tweeted and am following on twitter @KayaCobb
ReplyDeleteOh, and I like Hotel Chocolat on facebook to :-) x
ReplyDeleteThey all look fantastic (I was in Hotel Chocolat yesterday having a look) but if I had to pick one it would probably be the You Crack Me Up™ Extra Thick Easter Egg. I would love to be able to share this with my grandchildren. They loved the look of it and want me to buy one, although they also wanted the little bunnys, chicks and most of the shop
ReplyDelete@cqbish
I follow you on twitter
ReplyDelete@cqbish
I like Hotel Chocolat Facebook page
ReplyDelete@cqbish
I have liked The Vegetarian Experience Facebook Page
ReplyDelete@cqbish
I have tweeted about this competition
ReplyDelete@cqbish
I'd love to receive the Classic Eggs & Soldiers because they look interesting and delicious!
ReplyDeletemadelinebrubaker {at} gmail (dot) com
I follow you on Twitter (@shala_darkstone).
ReplyDeletemadelinebrubaker {at} gmail (dot) com
I like the Hotel Chocolat Facebook page (FB name: Madeline Brubaker).
ReplyDeletemadelinebrubaker {at} gmail (dot) com
I "like" your Facebook page (FB name: Madeline Brubaker).
ReplyDeletemadelinebrubaker {at} gmail (dot) com
I follow your blog publicly via Google Friend Connect as shala_darkstone.
ReplyDeletemadelinebrubaker {at} gmail (dot) com
I quite fancy the you crack me up extra thick egg, I love extra thick choc eggs, for some reason the chocolate seems nicer when its curved! I follow you on twitter etc
ReplyDeleteI'd like a large ostrich egg so that I'd be in with a chance of actually tasting it before my goats (sorry - I mean my kids) have finished 'just looking' at it!
ReplyDeleteI tweeted 'I would like to win a #Hotelchocolat Extra Thick #Easter Egg with @veggiexperience'
ReplyDeleteI'm following @Veggiexperience .
ReplyDeleteI like hotel Chocolat on facebook.
ReplyDeleteI like The Vegetarian Experience on facebook. michelle jordan-smith (at) live (dot) co (dot) uk
ReplyDeleteYou Crack Me Up™ Extra Thick Easter Egg would be my choice, looks gorgeous (as they all do!)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Simon.
Tweeted Comp on Twitter > https://twitter.com/#!/cobbiecollinge/status/185435980889735169
ReplyDelete@cobbiecollinge
Simon.
Following @veggiexperience on Twitter
ReplyDeleteSimon.
Liked the HC page on Facebook (Simon Collinge)
ReplyDeleteSimon.
Liked the The Vegetarian Experience Facebook page on Facebook (Simon Collinge)
ReplyDeleteSimon.
Following Blog :)
ReplyDeleteThanks
Simon.
Rocky Road to Caramel Extra Thick Easter Egg would be my choice, looks amazing
ReplyDeleteI am following on Twitter @lackro, thank you
ReplyDeleteI have liked the Hotel Chocolat Facebook page, thank you, Pam Crampton
ReplyDeleteI'd like the "Your Eggsellency" Extra Thick Easter Egg please - as after that review I'm sat here salivating into my keyboard!
ReplyDelete@beingmrsc
Would I buy the "You Crack Me Up" egg? Not half.
ReplyDeleteMakes 'serious' choc eating an Easter Day laugh!
The ostrich egg - the ultimate i luxury - looks awesome
ReplyDeleteTweeted as @sandyhallett
ReplyDeletefollow on twitter as @sandyhallett
ReplyDeletelike you on facebook
ReplyDeletesandy hallett
sandyhallett@gmail.com
follow the blog through GFC
ReplyDeletesandy hallett
sandyhallett@gmail.com
hiyaaa I like the sleekster easter egg selection... so many perfect eglets to choose from and so easy to share @kohsamuirosie on twitter
ReplyDeletetweeted as @kohsamuirosie
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/#!/kohsamuirosie/status/186356377067859968
follow on twitter @kohsamuirosie
ReplyDeleteliked hotel chocolat on fb for aaaages! kohsamui rosie and now you too
ReplyDeletedaughter and I are both vegetarians! so we will be checking out yor recepes on a regular basis!
following your blog through my twitter account @kohsamuirosie picture of a mug! would rather be tweeting#47 I think
ReplyDeleteMmmm thanks for the yummy comp. I love the You Crack Me Up™ Extra Thick Easter Egg, as I love the idea of a thick chocolate egg followed by some yummy cute treats inside. @7hippopotamus
ReplyDeleteI've tweeted the comp @7hippopotamus
ReplyDeleteI've liked the Hotel Chocolat Facebook page Jane Townson. @7hippopotamus
ReplyDeleteI have liked The Vegetarian Experience Facebook Page Jane Townson. @7hippopotamus
ReplyDeleteI'm following your blog. @7hippopotamus
ReplyDeleteThe Rocky Road to Caramel extra thick egg, Hotel Chocolat's caramel choc is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI like Hotel Chocolat on facebook (Emily Anne Hutchinson)
ReplyDeleteThe Champagne Truffle Easter Egg because I'm a Champagne and chocolates kinda gal.
ReplyDeletefollowing you @veggiexperience as @Hestia14
ReplyDeletetweeted your message as @Hestia14
ReplyDeleteliked the Hotel Chocolat facebook page as Ursula Bingham
ReplyDeleteLiked The Vegetarian Experience facebook page as Ursula Bingham
ReplyDeleteHas to be the Classic Egg and Soldiers, they make me nostalgic!
ReplyDeleteFollowing Hotel chocolat on facebook
would love to try the rocky road to caramel egg, looks delish :)
ReplyDeleteLike hotel chocolat on facebook as Leigh Fenn
ReplyDeletelike The Vegetarian experience facebook page as Leigh Fenn
ReplyDeleteIm following theveggieexperience blog :)
ReplyDeleteI follow on twitter also @xxladyluck13xx
ReplyDeleteI'd love one of those HUGE Ostrich eggs, I would have to share it with the whole family though as they are so massive!
ReplyDelete@suburban1mummy
Anything and everything please..but cannot get passed the egg up for winning as i just that one NOW
ReplyDeletelauracmcintyre@gmail.com
ooh and ive tweeted the message (almost forgot lol)
ReplyDelete