Real Eggshell filled with hazelnut chocolate truffle

I remember one of my favorite Easter treats growing up were praline filled eggs. Real eggshells filled with chocolate and hazelnut. My mom used to find them at Williams-Sonoma or A Southern Season (Chapel Hill, NC). They came in a half-dozen egg carton, and the eggshells were dyed in pastel colors. It's been at least five years since I've come across these eggs, and this spring I decided to see if I could find them again. I searched online for days, finding them mostly on international sites (that would cost an arm and a leg to ship from). Then---I found them. Well, not exactly them, but what appeared to be close enough. I was strolling through the Fresh Market grocery store when something caught my eye. (Literally. Take a look at the above photo and tell me that sucker doesn't shine right in your eye!) So I look over and realize I have finally found a real eggshell filled with hazelnut chocolate! Sure, this single egg comes in its own package. And yes, the coloring is absolutely hideous (and I think I picked the best one)...but I was pretty darn excited to give this egg a try.

So the box tells me that the egg is made in Germany by Gut Springenheide. Inside is a real eggshell, spray painted a metallic blue (it had the potential to be beautiful) with blood red and dark blue stripes (sigh). At the base of the egg is a scalloped sticker (sprayed over by the coloring) which covers up the tiny hole they used to remove the real egg. (Now that I'm thinking about it...I wonder where all the real eggs went?) Inside, the egg is filled with chocolate and there is a small air pocket at the top of the egg (within the top 1/3 of the egg). To get the chocolate out, I tapped the egg on the counter and then peeled off the shards of shell.
The chocolate is smooth and soft. It's not too sweet for a milk chocolate truffle, and has a tasty, nutty hazelnut flavor. To me, it tastes exactly like a gianduiotto (one of those Italian gianduja candies that looks like an elongated pyramid or wedge wrapped in gold foil), which is totally delicious! And guess what? It tastes exactly like the eggs I remember from Easters past!

In all, I absolutely loved this egg. I ate the entire thing in one sitting, and I've already made plans to go back to the store and buy more of them. (I have to stock up!)

I found this egg at The Fresh Market, $4.99 for a 1.75 oz egg.