Dulcey Blond Chocolate Easter Bunny with Vanilla Marshmallow

To make this Dulcey chocolate bunny with vanilla marshmallow, begin by finely chopping the smaller quantity of Dulcey blond chocolate (which equals 1/3 of the chocolate) with a knife.

Place the remaining 2/3 of the chocolate in a pastry bowl...

...and melt it in the microwave in 20 to 30-second intervals, stirring every time, so that it does not burn and without exceeding 45°C (maximum).

Once the Dulcey blond chocolate is entirely melted and reaches a maximum of 45°C, add the freshly chopped chocolate all at once...

...and mix to incorporate the chopped chocolate into the melted chocolate.

The chocolate mass will cool down quickly and should reach a temperature of 29/30°C (the ideal working temperature for tempered Dulcey blond chocolate).
If any unmelted chocolate lumps remain, you can use a hair dryer or a heat gun to melt them.
Note: If you reheat the chocolate, make sure the temperature increases by 1 to 2°C maximum.

When the Dulcey blond chocolate is completely melted and reaches 29/30°C, it is tempered and ready to use. Immediately pour it into the 8-cavity silicone mould, filling the cavities up to 3/4.

Using a pastry brush, spread the tempered Dulcey chocolate up the sides of the cavities.

Place a wire rack over a baking tray lined with a sheet of baking parchment and flip the silicone mould over in a quick motion onto the rack, so that the excess chocolate drains into the tray.

Tap the tray lightly on the work surface to thoroughly hollow out the mould cavities, leaving only a thin layer of chocolate.

Then flip the mould back over...

...and scrape the surface using a triangular spatula to obtain a clean, sharp edge.
Keep the excess tempered Dulcey chocolate in a container in a fan oven preheated to 35°C so you can seal the bunnies later without having to temper the chocolate again.

Leave the Dulcey chocolate to crystallise at room temperature, preferably in a cool room (18/19°C), until the chocolate solidifies, as shown here in the photo. The crystallisation time may vary depending on the ambient temperature of the room.

Vanilla marshmallow: Prepare all the ingredients. The large quantity of invert sugar will be weighed directly into the stand mixer bowl, and the small quantity will be weighed separately in a container. Then mix the powdered gelatine with the hydration water (tap water or mineral water) and leave to hydrate for 15 minutes.

Pour the caster sugar and water into a saucepan.

Add the small quantity of invert sugar...

...and bring the mixture to the boil.

While cooking, mix these elements together with a spatula.

Once boiling, check the temperature of the preparation using an electronic probe thermometer. It must reach 110°C.

When the syrup reaches 110°C, stop the cooking and remove the saucepan from the heat.

Place the hydrated gelatine into the mixer bowl, directly onto the invert sugar...

...and pour the sugar cooked to 110°C over the mass while mixing with the whisk attachment at low speed.

Once all the syrup is incorporated, gradually increase the mixer speed according to the texture obtained. The mass will gradually transform into marshmallow.

While mixing, add the vanilla powder. The amount depends on the intensity of flavour you wish to achieve.

Continue whisking the preparation until it is lukewarm, around 35°C, as a mass that is too cold will be difficult to pipe.

The vanilla marshmallow is now done.

Tansfer it into a piping bag. The use of a nozzle will not be necessary here.

Pipe this vanilla marshmallow into the crystallised Dulcey chocolate shells.

The marshmallow should not exceed 33/34°C, or it may melt the chocolate shells. The cavities should be filled up to 3/4.

Soft praline filling: Prepare all the ingredients.

Melt the Dulcey chocolate in the microwave in 20 to 30-second intervals, stirring every time, without exceeding 45°C. Then add the melted chocolate to the hazelnut praline...

...and mix thoroughly with a spatula.

Add the cocoa butter (or Mycryo cocoa butter), previously melted (over a very low heat), while stirring the preparation.

Finally, add the fleur de sel and mix again until you obtain our smooth and homogeneous soft praline filling.

Transfer this preparation into a piping bag (no nozzle), and pipe it into the chocolate shells, directly onto the vanilla marshmallow...

...like this (praline preparation temperature 30°C maximum).

Leave to crystallise at room temperature, preferably in a cool room.

Finish: Remove the remaining tempered Dulcey chocolate (kept warm in step 12) from the oven. Bring it back to a temperature of 29/30°C by mixing it with a spatula and transfer it into a piping bag (no nozzle) to pipe it over the praline to seal the chocolate bunnies.

Smooth the surface with the chocolate spatula.

Leave the Dulcey chocolate to crystallise at room temperature in a cool room.
It is normal to have a lot of chocolate on the edges of the mould, as each cavity is surrounded by a small raised border that prevents the mould surface from being scraped perfectly clean.

After the chocolate has crystallised, place the silicone mould in the fridge for 10 minutes just before flipping the mould; this will make it easier to release the chocolates. After this cooling time, remove the mould from the fridge and gently extract a bunny from the silicone cavity.

Repeat the operation for all the chocolate bunnies.

Our delicious Dulcey blond chocolate Easter bunnies are now done. Enjoy!