Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Candy Eggs, Peanut Butter Eggs, Maple Walnut Eggs

Chocolate-Covered Candy Eggs
Source: Woman's Day

6 tablespoons butter or margarine -- softened
3 ounces cream cheese -- softened
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips OR white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon solid vegetable shortening
Colored sugar
Tubes of decorating icing
Candy confetti dots

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Beat butter and cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer at med. speed until well blended. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Mixture will be stiff.

Roll 2 level tablespoonfuls between hands into egg shapes. Place on lined cookie sheet and refrigerate 1 hour or until cold and very firm.

Meanwhile melt chocolate in a deep bowl or saucepan as directed on package. Stir in shortening until well blended. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. For coating the eggs chocolate should be warm (86-90 degrees F.), not hot.

Set 1 egg on a fork, hold over chocolate and spoon chocolate over egg to coat. Gently, with a small spatula, push egg off fork onto lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining eggs, reheating chocolate if it cools and gets too thick.

Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle eggs with colored sugar, or press on confetti dots, candy leaves or flowers. Or let chocolate dry and pipe flowers and leaves on chocolate with tubes of icing. Refrigerate.

Peanut Butter Variation:
Stir 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter into 1 cup cream-cheese mixture. Makes 8 eggs.

Maple-Walnut Variation:
Stir 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract into 1 cup cream-cheese mixture. Makes 8 eggs.