Better Late Than Never - Best Ever Brownies

I really meant to complete this week's Baking Beauties challenge on Sunday, really I did. Not only was I celebrating my first ever Mother's Day, we were also toasting to my husband's birthday. Needless to say, the weekend was jam packed and went by way too quickly. Before I knew it, it was 8pm on Sunday evening and I was just too pooped to start baking, let alone blog about it.

It almost seems like fate though, since I am having a bunch of the local Junction mom's over for coffee and tea tomorrow, and brownies are a perfect accompaniment. And I am sure this recipe will receive rave reviews.

While this recipe was slightly more labour intensive than other brownies I have made, the end result is so good, it's worth the extra effort. I practically had to chain my husband away from the pan! This is definitely a recipe I will be revisiting in the future... perhaps with some homemade coffee ice cream and crushed toasted almonds. Yum!

Waste Not, Want Not

I always find myself, at the end of a baking session, left with some sort of scraps which I feel incredibly guilty for throwing out. I put the extra ganache or cake trimmings in Tupperware into the freezer, at which point I normally forget about it only to rediscover the now freezer burnt leftovers upon cleaning out the fridge.

Well, I happened upon a delightful idea from Baking Obsession...a way to turn all of your baking extras into a delicious treat. Chocolate Salami. Yes, chocolate salami. It's basically a mixture of cake and/or cookie crumbs, chocolate ganache and any tasty tidbits you'd like to throw into the mix. The salami pictured is a mixture of warped truffles (they were left too close for too long to a hot oven), white and dark chocolate ganache, cookies, nuts and chopped dates.

The recipe below is just a basic guideline. It is an excellent method for using up any bits and pieces you have lying around that you don't want to go to waste. This log is so good, you'll actually be trimming off more than you need, just to have an excuse to make some more!




Chocolate Salami
1 lb ganache (any type or mixture)
1 lb cake scraps (or any extra baked goods such as cookies, brownies, etc)
1/2 lb chopped nuts and/or dried fruit (again, any variety will do)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp of liqueur (I used Grand Marnier, but feel free to substitute with your preferred brand)

1) In a food processor, pulse the cake scraps until they resemble cookie crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl and add chopped nuts.
2) In a bain marie, remelt the chocolate ganache. Once smooth, remove from heat. Add extract and liqueur. Pour into the bowl with cake scraps.
3) Stir ganache and cake mixture well. Cover and place in the refrigerator until firm.
4) Cut a piece of parchment paper, slightly longer than the desired length of finished log. Using your hands, shape refrigerated mixture into a round log. Wrap in parchment and plastic wrap. From this point, you may freeze it until needed. When ready to eat, dust unwrapped log with icing sugar, slice and enjoy.