Readers may recall that back at Christmas I wrote about my personal ranking of festive chocolate. I said a couple of things in that particular blog post which I think I need to add a couple of disclaimers on. Firstly, I said that Christmas was my main time of year to eat chocolate. Secondly, I said that Wispa, Caramel, Crunchie and Winter Wonderland bars aside, there was very little that Cadbury got right in the present day and age.
My disclaimers: Easter is also prime chocolate time for me, but it goes without saying. Also, there is one other crucial thing that Cadbury continue to get absolutely dead on, year after year: Mini Eggs. A few weeks ago I purchased some from my local Co-op for a movie night. Whilst absent mindedly browsing Twitter a few days later, I saw a bold but completely accurate statement doing the Retweet rounds that stopped me dead in my tracks. Exhibit A:
When I really thought about it, I could only concur. It is all those facets mentioned and much more besides. In terms of widespread appeal, Mini Eggs are the kind of universally accepted and adored owners of national treasure status that’s only reserved for David Beckham, Take That and Princess Diana; whether it’s tiny kids doing an adorable Easter bake sale, or fully grown men with the munchies after a night of getting rat arsed on Good Friday with the lads, from mid-February to mid-April they are there, whether side snack or star topping.
It is perhaps no surprise then, that Cadbury themselves have elected to capitalise on their enduring popularity with a newly published recipe book that’s full to bursting with all manner of uses for these utterly cute and moreish pastel coloured little guys. Mini Egg Blondies? Yah huh. Mini Egg Vanilla Cheesecake? You betcha. Mini Egg Chocolate Birds Nests? Gimme!
Some may argue that Cadbury’s other springtime staple, the Creme Egg, is the don. To which I say they are wrong and piffle. They were great once, but they screwed those up a long time ago. They’re now about as relevant as a new Liam Payne album. We’d even settle on a Kinder Surprise before them, and given how disappointing Kinder Surprise are in this day and age that’s not to be taken lightly.
Mini Eggs? If it was possible to make them a year round thing, believe me I would make it binding written law. One taste of them and I am transported back to Easter holidays of my youth in seconds. My only slight complaint would be that the bags seem to be getting smaller with passing years – I genuinely don’t remember them being this small before now. Otherwise, we are – I hope – all agreed; l’etat, c’est les Mini Eggs, et finale, oui?
The Cadbury Mini Eggs Cookbook is out now, published by HarperCollins Books.
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