SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
It's roughly the same size as an emperor penguin, weighs about a hundred pounds, and you can take bites out of it, but shouldn't. Any guesses as to what it is? The confectioners at Cadbury have unveiled what they say is the world's largest Creme Egg in these days before Easter. The formidable egg is on display at Cadbury World in Birmingham, England. And from there, we're joined by Dawn Jenks, one of the chocolatiers behind the creation. Thanks so much for being with us.
DAWN JENKS: You're welcome. Thank you.
SIMON: How do you make a Creme Egg this big?
JENKS: We have a mold. We make it in two halves, and we piped the wrapper by hand inside the mold first, and then we put the milk chocolate in afterwards.
SIMON: And why? I mean, why this challenge?
JENKS: Because we wanted to create the world's biggest Cadbury Creme Egg. Lots of people have claimed to have made it, but we're the only ones who have the secret recipe for the fondant.
SIMON: Oh, a secret recipe. So, what is it? Just between you and me.
JENKS: Oh, I can't tell you (laughter).
SIMON: All right.
JENKS: Not allowed (laughter).
SIMON: How do you get all that gooey fondant filling into the egg?
JENKS: So we cut the top off once we'd stuck it together, and then we pour the fondant inside, and then the yellow, that's the yolk, we pipe that onto the top of the white.
SIMON: Yeah. Forgive me, ever lick your fingers?
JENKS: No, not allowed (laughter).
SIMON: Oh, all right. I just thought I'd ask.
JENKS: (Laughter).
SIMON: And any, you know, now and then spills or other accidents?
JENKS: Oh, there are some spillages, but, you know, we don't eat them.
SIMON: All right. Cadbury has a tradition in this regard, I'm told. What are some other Cadbury creations with which you've been involved?
JENKS: Yeah. So we work at Cadbury World, which is a visitor center, so we are not the factory. So guests can come round and see the things that we make. We've made lots of things. We've done a crown for the Jubilee. We've built the Globe Theatre, Shakespeare's Theatre, as well. Lots of various different Christmas and Halloween creations, as well.
SIMON: The Globe Theatre made out of chocolate?
JENKS: Yep. Not full size, obviously.
SIMON: Is there something you would aspire to make out of chocolate, but haven't yet had the chance?
JENKS: Yep. Maybe a VW camper van could be a bit of a challenge, but quite an exciting one.
SIMON: A Volkswagen camper van. Oh, all right.
JENKS: Yeah.
SIMON: With sliding doors?
JENKS: Of course. You need to get in and out.
SIMON: I am told, Ms. Jenks, that nobody is actually going to get to eat this Creme Egg, right?
JENKS: No, no one will eat it, but it will remain on display here at Cadbury World for our guests to enjoy and have their photographs taken with.
SIMON: To enjoy, but just, like, visually - right? - not (vocalizing) enjoy?
JENKS: No, it's covered with a case, so they can't actually get at it.
SIMON: I mean, a hundred pounds of chocolate could make, I don't know, a thousand kids very happy, don't you think?
JENKS: It might also make them sick, so maybe not (laughter).
SIMON: All right, they'd probably stay up all night anyway.
JENKS: (Laughter).
SIMON: Dawn Jenks, who is a chocolatier for Cadbury in Birmingham, the U.K. Thanks so much for joining us, and happy holiday to you.
JENKS: You're welcome. Happy Easter. Bye.
(SOUNDBITE OF LOU DONALDSON'S "SPACEMAN TWIST") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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