Smart bunny

It’s one of life’s injustices that adults go through the agonies of giving up alcohol and chocolate for Lent, and children reap the rewards once the Easter bunny arrives to let us off the hook. So this year, fob the kids off with a few Creme Eggs, which they’ll much prefer, and head for Selfridges (0870 837 7377) for the adult choccy treats below.

The posh chocolatier Paul A Young’s Easter egg is made from the finest black chocolate and adorned with a Victorian cameo, inspired by the antiques emporiums of Camden Passage in Islington, where he has his own shop. It’s well worth a trip just for his simnel brownies, which are to diet for.

If money is no object, Melt has created a surrealist egg to tie in with the exhibition that has just opened at the V&A. It features a hand-painted chocolate egg within another that’s the size and thickness of a tyrannosaurus egg (from £80).

For a witty take on the real thing, Clarence Court has produced a luxury selection box containing goose, duck, pheasant and quail’s eggs – the perfect recipe for a family Easter breakfast. Remember to adjust boiling times, though: it takes 2 minutes to soft-boil a quail’s egg, but up to 11 for a goose egg (£4.99, from selected Waitrose stores).

Start spreading the news

One treat worth hiding from the younger generation next Sunday is this fabulous chocolate spread from the Belgian chocolatier Galler, which has just opened its first British outpost at Harrods. Made from 85% dark chocolate, it’s several cuts above Nutella. And it’s divinely decadent spread on baguettes with unsalted butter. £9.50, from Harrods; 020 7730 1234

Take 3 ingredients

Stefano Stecca, the head chef at Brunello restaurant, suggests poached eggs with asparagus as a delicious Easter brunch.

12 green asparagus spears

4 large eggs

100g pecorino cheese shavings

Cook the asparagus in boiling water for 5 minutes, then cool in iced water. Poach the eggs in boiling water and vinegar for 2 minutes. Stir-fry the cooked asparagus in butter and transfer to a white plate. Place the poached eggs on top and shave pecorino over the dish.

Brunello, Baglioni Hotel, 60 Hyde Park Gate, SW7; 020 7368 5900

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