Easter presents the ideal opportunity to get baking at home, particularly as many of us find ourselves with an abundance of chocolate. It can offer a welcome break between hectic schedules or serve as an entertaining activity for the children during half-term.

A simple way to make use of leftover chocolate is to whip up a batch of brownies. They are uncomplicated to prepare, without creating too much mess in the kitchen. Plus, brownies require minimal equipment, meaning most households can give them a go regardless of their baking expertise.

For an Easter-inspired twist, I opted to bake Mini Egg brownies and was thoroughly impressed with the results.

I'm a firm fan of a gooey brownie that isn't overly rich. These turned out absolutely spot-on for my palate, as the Mini Eggs added a satisfying texture while the outer edges of my brownies had a delightful crunch.

The centre boasted that wonderful gooey consistency, and left me craving another slice. I followed Jane Patisserie's recipe for my brownies, though I made a handful of small adjustments.

Chocolate chips were unavailable at my local supermarket, so I improvised by breaking up a bar of milk chocolate instead. The results were outstanding, and I'm confident that anyone can get stuck into the baking process.

Children would enjoy stirring all the ingredients together and scattering in the Mini Eggs, and everyone gets to enjoy a delicious sweet treat once the baking is complete. The trickiest part is showing restraint and allowing the brownies to cool once they emerge from the oven!

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate
• 200g unsalted butter
• Four medium Eggs
• 275g light brown soft sugar or caster sugar (I used light brown sugar)
• 100g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 150g chocolate chips (I chopped up a milk chocolate bar instead)
• 250g mini eggs (I used four 74g bags of Mini Eggs)

Decoration ingredients

• 50g milk chocolate, melted
• Handful of Mini Eggs

Method

Begin by heating your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan and line a nine-by-nine-inch baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Melt together the dark chocolate and butter. This can be done in brief intervals in the microwave until fully melted, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted and thoroughly combined, set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for several minutes. The mixture will double in size, turn lighter in colour and leave a trail for a few seconds when the whisk is lifted out.

Pour in the dark chocolate and butter mixture. Gently fold it through.

Add the flour and cocoa powder. Fold through once more.

Add the chocolate chips and Mini Eggs. Fold again. Once everything is fully incorporated, transfer the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until there is just a slight wobble in the middle. Allow to cool completely in the tin (the most difficult part!).

Melt the milk chocolate, then drizzle it across the brownie using a spoon. Crush the Mini Eggs and scatter them over the top of the brownie.

Slice the brownie into 16 individual portions and enjoy! Should you prefer a fudgier consistency, place the brownies in the fridge to set for a minimum of two hours.