Meet 2022’s Easter egg trend: Best blonde chocolate buys
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If you've been looking for an Easter egg that's a little different this year, then let us introduce you to the latest chocolatier innovation: blonde chocolate.
It's not often that a new type of chocolate is invented and you'd be forgiven for thinking that "blonde chocolate" was just a marketing ploy to get us excited about super-sweet white chocolate, but blonde chocolate is actually a new chocolate category in its own right.
With a decadently indulgent flavour and a mellow creamy texture, blonde chocolate was discovered accidentally by experimental pastry chef Frédéric Bau, creative director of French premium chocolate manufacturer Valrhona.
One fateful day in 2006, Bau left some white chocolate to melt in a bain-marie for a little too long. When he returned, the chocolate had turned a rich golden hue and tasted of toasted biscuits and caramelised milk.
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It took Bau's team at Valrhona years to successfully recreate blonde chocolate at scale, but they did eventually perfect the recipe and now the "fourth colour for chocolate" is beginning to rise to prominence among confectionary brands.
Blonde chocolate has dramatically increased in popularity in the past year, growing by 597% (from a small base of consumers), according to statistics from Kantar Worldpanel. The Grocer magazine has declared that this Easter "brands and retailers have cottoned on to blonde choc as the next big trend, rolling out a host of their own products to capitalise on the excitement".
A blonde chocolate egg from Fortnum & Mason even won a coveted best egg title at this year's Good Housekeeping Easter taste test.
So, if you want to taste the trend for yourself, or treat a loved one to something a little special, we've rounded up some of the finest examples of blonde chocolate Easter eggs available this year, with prices ranging from just £2.99 to £35.
