The chocolate centerpiece on display at Lake Elmo Inn Restaurant would be difficult to miss during an Easter egg hunt.
Its chocolate Easter egg, which weighs in at about 100 pounds with its vase, is part of a nearly 30-year tradition at the establishment.
But it's gotten bigger — much bigger — 40 pounds heavier than last year's version, thanks to a new mold, said Joni Marty, the eatery's pastry chef for nearly 32 years.
"People love it because it's just so big and it's different," she said.
Marty said it took a day to create each half of the egg, which has eight layers of white chocolate. The halves were bonded together with more white chocolate. It took Marty four hours to decorate the egg with 240 chocolate flowers she whipped up in the kitchen.
The restaurant put the egg on display at the start of Lent, and patrons can get a look at it until April 23. After that, it'll be wrapped up and stored until Marty reworks it for next year's creation.
Haley Hansen is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.
