This whimsical dessert can be made well in advance of the meal and refrigerated until needed. You will need 8 cold eggs and an empty egg carton to make the egg shells. You are making half shells by this method, but they can be sandwiched together if you want. Just seal them with more melted chocolate. You can buy lemon curd or use the recipe below.

4 ounces (125 grams)

8 hen's eggs

60 to 70 per cent dark chocolate, chopped

Plastic wrap

Egg carton

Wrap the eggs in plastic wrap, ensuring that one end of each egg is as smooth as possible. Melt chocolate and brush onto plastic wrap halfway down egg.

Place egg chocolate-side up in egg carton. Repeat with remaining eggs.

Add a second layer of chocolate, if necessary to cover any thin patches. Refrigerate until chocolate is solid. Carefully remove plastic wrap and chocolate shells from the eggs. Gently ease plastic wrap from the chocolate shells.

Fill chocolate shells with lemon curd and serve in egg cups. Makes 8.

LEMON CURD

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 eggs, beaten

Combine sugar, butter, lemon rind and juice, and eggs in a heavy pot. Stir gently over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until mixture coats back of spoon. Do not let mixture boil or it will curdle.

Strain curd mixture into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool.