Vanilla sponge Easter eggs

To prepare the eggs, use a cork screw to pierce a small hole at the top of the egg and carefully peel off a little of the eggshell to make a small gap that can fit a piping nozzle. Tip out the egg inside and rinse. Repeat with the remaining eggs, reserving the insides of 4 for the sponge. You can freeze the leftover eggs for up to 3 months for use in omelettes or baking – remember to write down how many eggs are in the freezerproof bag!

Soak the empty shells in salted water for 20 minutes. Remove from the water and allow to drip dry.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C. To make the sponge, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Melt the butter and mix with the milk, oil, eggs and vanilla essence. Add the wet ingredients to the dry while mixing in a free-standing blender.

Place the batter in a piping bag and pipe into the 8 eggshells, taking care not to overfill the shells. Place each shell in a muffin-pan well, using baking paper to secure the egg around its base. Bake until a skewer inserted into an egg comes out clean, 20 – 30 minutes. The batter may bubble out during baking but, once the shells have cooled, you can peel off the extra sponge.

Serve in egg cups with a side of butter icing.