At my fundraiser brunch to benefit the Maine Cancer Foundation I promised I would let you in on a few of the recipes and also the results of my fundraising efforts. It’s probably not the best idea to experiment with new recipes on guests but I have been known to be a risk taker and rule breaker. Is anyone thinking Pat Benatar right now? No, Okay. Anyway, I tried a few new recipes out on my friends/guests and this one was definitely a hit so I knew I needed to share it with you. By the way I raised a few thousand dollars from that brunch. Now that’s some sweet! If you are interested in how I did that just click this link. I am not finished fundraising for MCF yet but you can be sure that I will let you know the final tally when I am done.
Meanwhile, here is the recipe for this cute little finger dessert. What you will love about this besides for the fact it’s chocolate is that it is super easy to make and can be done a day in advance.
Chocolate “Salami” for Fundraising Brunch
What you need:
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips. I used Godiva but Hersey’s will do just fine.
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced into 6 to 8 pieces
2 Cups (1/4 of a 12 oz. pkg) vanilla wafer cookies crushed into crumbs 1/3 Cup sliced almonds. I bet you could try walnuts and also add dried fruits cut up into small peices as well if you wanted to get a little creative. I am thinking dries cherries would be good. I mean chocolate and cherries. That’s a YES!
raspberries and mint for garnish
What you do:
1. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or a metal bowl or saucepan that will rest on top of another sauce pan. Fill the bottom pan half way with water. Put the chocolate and butter in the top pan. Heat the water over med/low so the water is barely steaming. After about 1 minute, gently stir the chocolate and butter. Every minute or so stir. Once about 80 percent is melted remove from heat and continue stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth. It should be just warm to the touch.
Add the vanilla, cookie crumbs, almonds. If you went the creative route now would be the time to add dried fruits.
2. Put the pan in the freezer until the mixture is slightly firm.
3. Spray a large sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable cooking spray. Spread the mixture evenly along one long side. Roll to form a log shape about 21/2 to 3 inches in diameter and 10 to 12 inches long. Place the log in the freezer for at least an hour until firm or overnight for use the next day.
4. Remove the log from the freezer about 2 hrs before plating and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Garnish with raspberries and mint.
5. Watch them disappear!
Tags: brunch, chocolate, dessert, fundraiser, Fundraising, Maine Cancer Foundation, Tri for the cure
