an eggsemplary idea

Easter is very nearly upon us, and you know what that means...

Cadbury creme eggs are everywhere!

I was never a fan of the "creme" inside the egg, though it's a fun idea (the caramel version sounds much better to me). These brownies are inspired by those white-and-yellow-filled chocolate eggs, but the colors and presence of chocolate are where the resemblances end. Instead of using fondant as my filler (there's a reason no one likes to eat the fondant off a fancy cake, folks!), I used something akin to a buttercream frosting flavored with vanilla. Like the creme in the egg, my filling is surrounded by chocolate--the bottom is a gooey brownie and the top is a rich glaze.

Yeah, so my egg yolk and white don't ooze like the Cadbury eggs, but I don't find that appetizing anyway (unless we're talking solely about actual runny yolks, perhaps atop toast...that's a different story).

Cadbury-Creme-Egg-Inspired Brownies
(Disclaimer: This is not my idea, though I have no clue where I first saw it.)
Ingredients:
Brownies:

• 6 ounces butter
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sliced almonds

Filling:

• 4 ounces butter, softened
• 2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A bit of yellow food coloring or gel

Glaze:

• 6 ounces butter
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
First, make the brownies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 13x9" pan. In a medium saucepan (or in the microwave), melt together the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Whisk until smooth, then let cool for a few minutes. Whisk in the sugars and blend well. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour, salt, and almonds, then pour into prepared pan and bake 40-45 minutes, or until edges are beginning to harden. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
To make the filling, beat together all of the ingredients except the yellow food coloring until totally smooth. Add more water if necessary to obtain a spreadable consistency. Remove about 2 tablespoons of the filling and color it with the yellow dye. Once the brownies have cooled, spread the uncolored filling over them, then dab on the yellow filling in some random places and smooth each out a little bit. It might look diseased, but trust me, the finished effect is neat.
To make the glaze that covers that blotchy look, simply melt the butter and chocolate chips together and blend well, then pour the glaze over the brownies and fillings. Tilt the pan so the glaze coats everything evenly. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until set, then slice and serve!