reading time: 10 min
»Do you know Illyrio Mopatis, Magister of Pentos? For my wedding, he gave me three petrified dragon eggs. He believed – the world believed – that the ages had turned them to stone. How many centuries has it been since dragons roamed the skies? But I dreamt that if I carried those eggs into a great fire, they would hatch! When I stepped into the fire, my own people thought I was mad! But when the fire burned out, I was unhurt! The Mother of Dragons! Do you understand? I'm no ordinary woman. My dreams come true.«
– Daenerys, Game of Thrones, season 2, episode 6
Magister Illyrio murmured a command, and four burly slaves hurried forward, bearing between them a great cedar chest bound in bronze. When she opened it, she found piles of the finest velvets and damasks the Free Cities could produce . . . and resting on top, nestled in the soft cloth, three huge eggs. Dany gasped. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, each different than the others, patterned in such rich colors that at first she thought they were crusted with jewels, and so large it took both of her hands to hold one. She lifted it delicately, expecting that it would be made of some fine porcelain or delicate enamel, or even blown glass, but it was much heavier than that, as if it were all of solid stone. The surface of the shell was covered with tiny scales, and as she turned the egg between her fingers, they shimmered like polished metal in the light of the setting sun. One egg was a deep green, with burnished bronze flecks that came and went depending on how Dany turned it. Another was pale cream streaked with gold. The last was black, as black as a midnight sea, yet alive with scarlet ripples and swirls. »What are they?« she asked, her voice hushed and full of wonder.
A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
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| The Mother of Dragons looking fondly at her petrified children. (source) |
Daenerys Targaryen, also known as Dany, also known as Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains – yes, that is her full title – has always been my favourite character in the show Game of Thrones, along with Tyrion Lannister. Well, until the last season happened. But let's not get into that.
Instead, let's talk about these gorgeous chocolate dragon eggs!
In A Song of Ice and Fire dragons are said to lay scaled eggs the colour of the dragon within, and are hatched near sources of extreme heat. In Dany's case, she lays the precious three eggs that were given to her by Magister Illyrio Mopatis as a gift for her wedding to Khal Drogo on her husband's funeral pyre. After the pyre is lit, Daenerys walks into the fire, where the eggs hatch into living and fire-breathing dragons.
Basically, my take on Dany's dragon eggs are three giant chocolate eggs filled with three different sorts of mousse: a cream-and-gold coloured cream cheese & lemon filling for Viserion, a green-and-bronze coloured matcha & caramel filling for Rhaegal, and a black-and-scarlet raspberry & chocolate filling for Drogon.
My personal favourite is Rhaegal's filling, matcha and caramel (however, you really need to like the taste of matcha for this one!). The three other "taste testers" (my boyfriend and my parents 😜) voted for Viserion's cream cheese & lemon as their number one, with Drogon's chocolate mousse and the matcha as a close second.
The whole idea came about when I spotted Rachel's raw chocolate egg filled with caramel and chocolate mousse a few years ago on Pinterest and was in awe of the sheer size of the chocolate egg. Combine that with my love for veganizing fictional food, and the idea of making giant chocolate dragon eggs was born! (Just like Dany's dragons, lol. Alright, I'll see myself out ...)
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| Amazing artwork of Dany's dragons, Rhaegal, Viserion, and Drogon. (source) |
Basically, my take on Dany's dragon eggs are three giant chocolate eggs filled with three different sorts of mousse: a cream-and-gold coloured cream cheese & lemon filling for Viserion, a green-and-bronze coloured matcha & caramel filling for Rhaegal, and a black-and-scarlet raspberry & chocolate filling for Drogon.
My personal favourite is Rhaegal's filling, matcha and caramel (however, you really need to like the taste of matcha for this one!). The three other "taste testers" (my boyfriend and my parents 😜) voted for Viserion's cream cheese & lemon as their number one, with Drogon's chocolate mousse and the matcha as a close second.
The whole idea came about when I spotted Rachel's raw chocolate egg filled with caramel and chocolate mousse a few years ago on Pinterest and was in awe of the sheer size of the chocolate egg. Combine that with my love for veganizing fictional food, and the idea of making giant chocolate dragon eggs was born! (Just like Dany's dragons, lol. Alright, I'll see myself out ...)
DANY'S VEGAN DRAGON EGGS
Preparation time: 2 hours + 1 hour to cool and set
Main ingredients: dark chocolate, vegan cream cheese, coconut butter
difficulty level: moderate-challenging
makes: 3 large chocolate eggs
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, wheat-free, yeast-free
Ingredients
Chocolate Egg Shells:
300 g dark vegan chocolate
OR
3 x 120 g store-bought hollow chocolate Easter eggs
Viserion's Filling (cream cheese & lemon):
"cream cheese" cream:
150 g (2/3 cup) vegan cream cheese
25 g (1/4) cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp vegan lemon curd
Rhaegal's Filling (matcha & caramel):
matcha cream:
75 ml (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) vegan whipping cream (I use the German brand Schlagfix for this – place in the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer for about 30 minutes to make it easier to whip!)
1 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cream stabilizer
2 tsp matcha powder (see notes below!)
75 g (1/4 cup) vegan quark (I use coconut skyr)
2-3 tbsp vegan caramel sauce
homemade caramel sauce:
250 ml (1 cup) full-fat coconut milk
150 g (2/3 cup) raw cane sugar or brown sugar
150 g (2/3 cup) vegan butter or margarine
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Drogon's Filling (raspberry & chocolate):
1 cup vegan chocolate mousse, e. g. half the recipe of my vegan chocolate mousse (which is what I used here; for a more creamy chocolate mousse, I recommend using 1/4 of my silky vegan mousse au chocolat instead!)
(optional) pinch of activated charcoal powder, for darker colour
2-3 tbsp raspberry sauce
raspberry sauce:
120 g (1 cup) fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
(optional) 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
also:
1–3 large egg-shaped chocolate molds with a separate top and bottom cavity *
* I got a two-piece plastic egg mould from eBay for about seven bucks that is 10.5 cm high and 7 cm wide at the widest point. Just search for "giant chocolate egg mould" or "dinosaur egg mould" or something similar.
RHAEGAL (matcha & caramel):
For the caramel sauce, place coconut milk, sugar, and vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to boil.
Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Keep simmering and stirring until the caramel sauce is soft and smooth.
Add sea salt and vanilla extract, whisk to combine. Remove the caramel from heat, and let cool down to thicken.
If the caramel sauce turns out too runny, return to the heat for a couple of minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a tiny splash of non-dairy milk.
In the meantime, use an electric whisk to beat the vegan whipping cream with icing sugar, vanilla extract, matcha powder, and cream stablizier in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in the vegan quark until just combined. Pour mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate until set.
DROGON (chocolate & raspberry):
In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together water and cornstarch. Add raspberries and sugar, and stir. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and allow to simmer until thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and set aside to cool completely. Add vanilla essence, if desired.
As for your chocolate mousse, store in the fridge until needed. Add a pinch of activated charcoal to the mixture for a darker colour. (After all, Drogon has black scales!)
To assemble the eggs:
Remove solid egg moulds from the fridge or freezer. Take out only one of the two matching egg halves, carefully pressing on the bottom of the mould to release. If this doesn't work, tap the mould against a clean surface such as a plate or work surface until the chocolate falls out.
For assembling the eggs, you have 2 options:
option 1) filling the eggs before putting together the chocolate shells and cutting off the tops – this is more impressive and makes for a fun surprise, but takes more time and is more difficult to do.
Once the three eggs are ready (or if using store-bought hollow chocolate eggs), gently cut the tops off using a non-serrated sharp knife.
To fill the eggs, spoon the filling into the hollow eggs, alternating between different layers:
For Viserion: fill each egg with 2/3s cream cheese mixture, then add 1/3 of vegan lemon curd to the center (to resemble egg yolk and also the colour of Viserion's skin).
For Rhaegal: fill each egg with 2/3s matcha cream, drizzling in the caramel sauce in-between.
For Drogon: fill each egg with 2/3s chocolate mousse, spooning in the raspberry sauce in-between to create "bleeding" red ribbons or veins throughout the mousse.
Serve!
Serve the dragon eggs immediately (on a bed of hay, preferably in an old wooden trunk 😂), or leave in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Quick, eat them before they hatch!
Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
TIPS & NOTES:
* I got a two-piece plastic egg mould from eBay for about seven bucks that is 10.5 cm high and 7 cm wide at the widest point. Just search for "giant chocolate egg mould" or "dinosaur egg mould" or something similar.
Instructions
To make the egg shells:
Prepare your egg moulds by wiping them clean. They should be as clean and dry as possible. Despite what you may read on the internet, do NOT spray or brush the moulds with oil! It will be a disaster to get the hardened chocolate out of there!!
Gently melt down the chocolate, using a double boiler (a heat-resistant small bowl on top of a pot filled with 1 inch of boiling water).
Allow the melted chocolate to cool slightly until it starts to thicken.
Using a pastry brush, evenly coat the base of the prepared egg mould cavities – leaving the centre part quite thin as this is where our filling will go. Tap the moulds a few times to allow air bubbles to come to the surface and pop.
Place in the fridge for a few minutes to harden slightly, then add another layer of chocolate, especially around the top edge of the mould. You might even need to paint a third coat to reach the desired thickness. Wipe off any excess chocolate around the edge of each egg.
Pop egg moulds in the fridge or freezer to harden completely.
(Since I only had 1 egg mould to work with, I would coat both halves, leave them to harden completely, then take out the chocolate halves, and repeat the process two more times until I had 6 chocolate egg halves.)
Prepare your egg moulds by wiping them clean. They should be as clean and dry as possible. Despite what you may read on the internet, do NOT spray or brush the moulds with oil! It will be a disaster to get the hardened chocolate out of there!!
Gently melt down the chocolate, using a double boiler (a heat-resistant small bowl on top of a pot filled with 1 inch of boiling water).
Allow the melted chocolate to cool slightly until it starts to thicken.
Using a pastry brush, evenly coat the base of the prepared egg mould cavities – leaving the centre part quite thin as this is where our filling will go. Tap the moulds a few times to allow air bubbles to come to the surface and pop.
Place in the fridge for a few minutes to harden slightly, then add another layer of chocolate, especially around the top edge of the mould. You might even need to paint a third coat to reach the desired thickness. Wipe off any excess chocolate around the edge of each egg.
Pop egg moulds in the fridge or freezer to harden completely.
(Since I only had 1 egg mould to work with, I would coat both halves, leave them to harden completely, then take out the chocolate halves, and repeat the process two more times until I had 6 chocolate egg halves.)
To make the fillings:
VISERION (cream cheese & lemon):
In a small bowl, beat together vegan cream cheese and icing sugar. Add vanilla essence and mix until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of plant-based milk until smooth. If the mixture is too runny, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
As for your lemon curd, make sure it's soft enough to spoon into the egg later. If it's too thick, add a tiny splash of water or non-dairy milk. Store in the fridge until needed.
VISERION (cream cheese & lemon):
In a small bowl, beat together vegan cream cheese and icing sugar. Add vanilla essence and mix until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of plant-based milk until smooth. If the mixture is too runny, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
As for your lemon curd, make sure it's soft enough to spoon into the egg later. If it's too thick, add a tiny splash of water or non-dairy milk. Store in the fridge until needed.
*
RHAEGAL (matcha & caramel):
For the caramel sauce, place coconut milk, sugar, and vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to boil.
Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Keep simmering and stirring until the caramel sauce is soft and smooth.
Add sea salt and vanilla extract, whisk to combine. Remove the caramel from heat, and let cool down to thicken.
If the caramel sauce turns out too runny, return to the heat for a couple of minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a tiny splash of non-dairy milk.
In the meantime, use an electric whisk to beat the vegan whipping cream with icing sugar, vanilla extract, matcha powder, and cream stablizier in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in the vegan quark until just combined. Pour mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate until set.
*
DROGON (chocolate & raspberry):
In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together water and cornstarch. Add raspberries and sugar, and stir. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and allow to simmer until thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and set aside to cool completely. Add vanilla essence, if desired.
As for your chocolate mousse, store in the fridge until needed. Add a pinch of activated charcoal to the mixture for a darker colour. (After all, Drogon has black scales!)
To assemble the eggs:
Remove solid egg moulds from the fridge or freezer. Take out only one of the two matching egg halves, carefully pressing on the bottom of the mould to release. If this doesn't work, tap the mould against a clean surface such as a plate or work surface until the chocolate falls out.
For assembling the eggs, you have 2 options:
option 1) filling the eggs before putting together the chocolate shells and cutting off the tops – this is more impressive and makes for a fun surprise, but takes more time and is more difficult to do.
option 2) putting together the chocolate shells and cutting off the tops before filling the eggs – this is the easier way to do it, but also takes away the surprise of the filling. If you are using store-bought hollow chocolate eggs, this is your only option.
Option 1:
For this method, I recommend placing each egg half back into its mould – that way you won't leave any fingerprints or melt the chocolate with your hands.
Fill each egg halves with the respective filling, careful not to overfill each half, otherwise you won't be able to "glue" them together later!
For Viserion: fill each half with 1/2 – 2/3 cream cheese mixture, and 1/3 – 1/2 vegan lemon curd (to resemble egg yolk and also the colour of Viserion's skin).
For Rhaegal: fill each half with 2/3 matcha cream, then drizzle on the caramel sauce.
For Drogon: fill each half with 2/3 chocolate mousse, then swirl in the raspberry sauce to create "bleeding" red ribbons or veins throughout the mousse.
Using the remaining melted chocolate from making the shells, carefully brush a small amount around the edge of one egg half (I actually used a small spoon for this). Gently place it on top of its matching half to make a whole Dragon egg, careful not to spill the filling, and making sure the two halves line up perfectly.
Press slightly to make sure they are "glued" together. Place in the fridge or freezer to firm up.
Once set, carefully remove filled egg from mould. Use a clean paper towel to wipe off any protruding chocolate from sealing the edges.
Store the filled dragon eggs in the fridge until ready to serve. To serve, carefully cut the tops off using a non-serrated sharp knife.
Option 2:
Using the remaining melted chocolate from making the shells, carefully brush or spoon a small amount around the edge of one egg half. Carefully place it on top of its matching half to make a whole Dragon egg, making sure they line up perfectly. Press slightly to make sure they are "glued" together.
Place in the fridge or freezer to firm up. Once set, carefully remove hollow egg from mould. Use a clean paper towel to wipe off any protruding chocolate from sealing the edges.
Repeat with the remaining egg halves.
Option 1:
For this method, I recommend placing each egg half back into its mould – that way you won't leave any fingerprints or melt the chocolate with your hands.
Fill each egg halves with the respective filling, careful not to overfill each half, otherwise you won't be able to "glue" them together later!
For Viserion: fill each half with 1/2 – 2/3 cream cheese mixture, and 1/3 – 1/2 vegan lemon curd (to resemble egg yolk and also the colour of Viserion's skin).
For Rhaegal: fill each half with 2/3 matcha cream, then drizzle on the caramel sauce.
For Drogon: fill each half with 2/3 chocolate mousse, then swirl in the raspberry sauce to create "bleeding" red ribbons or veins throughout the mousse.
Using the remaining melted chocolate from making the shells, carefully brush a small amount around the edge of one egg half (I actually used a small spoon for this). Gently place it on top of its matching half to make a whole Dragon egg, careful not to spill the filling, and making sure the two halves line up perfectly.
Press slightly to make sure they are "glued" together. Place in the fridge or freezer to firm up.
Once set, carefully remove filled egg from mould. Use a clean paper towel to wipe off any protruding chocolate from sealing the edges.
Store the filled dragon eggs in the fridge until ready to serve. To serve, carefully cut the tops off using a non-serrated sharp knife.
Option 2:
Using the remaining melted chocolate from making the shells, carefully brush or spoon a small amount around the edge of one egg half. Carefully place it on top of its matching half to make a whole Dragon egg, making sure they line up perfectly. Press slightly to make sure they are "glued" together.
Place in the fridge or freezer to firm up. Once set, carefully remove hollow egg from mould. Use a clean paper towel to wipe off any protruding chocolate from sealing the edges.
Repeat with the remaining egg halves.
Once the three eggs are ready (or if using store-bought hollow chocolate eggs), gently cut the tops off using a non-serrated sharp knife.
To fill the eggs, spoon the filling into the hollow eggs, alternating between different layers:
For Viserion: fill each egg with 2/3s cream cheese mixture, then add 1/3 of vegan lemon curd to the center (to resemble egg yolk and also the colour of Viserion's skin).
For Rhaegal: fill each egg with 2/3s matcha cream, drizzling in the caramel sauce in-between.
For Drogon: fill each egg with 2/3s chocolate mousse, spooning in the raspberry sauce in-between to create "bleeding" red ribbons or veins throughout the mousse.
Serve!
Serve the dragon eggs immediately (on a bed of hay, preferably in an old wooden trunk 😂), or leave in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Quick, eat them before they hatch!
Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
TIPS & NOTES:
- If you do not like the taste of matcha, omit the matcha powder, and use green food colouring instead. I absolutely love this matcha cream, but I know that the taste of matcha isn't for everyone.
- Use chocolate candy melts to resemble scales! Melt more dark chocolate and adhere scales to eggs by forming overlapping circles of them, starting from the bottom of the egg and going up to the top in overlapping circles, until fully covered.
- Use chocolate candy melts to resemble scales! Melt more dark chocolate and adhere scales to eggs by forming overlapping circles of them, starting from the bottom of the egg and going up to the top in overlapping circles, until fully covered.
Looking for more nerdy recipes? Check out some of my other fiction inspired creations:
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| Sansa's Lemon Cakes (vegan) |
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