Easter may be over but at our house there seems to be a mountain of chocolate waiting to be devoured. Somehow between them my three children have managed to accumulate an impressive stash of eggs, bunnies and filled chocolate. A post Easter dilemma? What to do with all the leftover uneaten chocolate?

Melted good quality unfilled chocolate makes superb hot chocolate. Add a little cream to make a chocolate ganache topping. Ideal for ice cream sundaes. Filled chocolates and Easter eggs can be roughly chopped and incorporated into a biscuit dough. The recipe for Slice and Bake Biscuits works well with this idea. Just substitute the chocolate bits for chopped chocolate Easter eggs.

One of the fastest ways to use up a mountain of leftover chocolate, however, must be brownies. Last December I made chocolate brownies topped with leftover fruits and nuts from my  Christmas baking. Rich, dense and fudgy they were delicious. This is an adaptation of that recipe. For this version I used melted Lindt chocolate bunnies in the brownie mix. Studded with Turkish delight and crystallised ginger. Topped with a medley of praline filled Easter eggs and more bunnies. Ready to be sliced and packed into school lunch-boxes during the week.

The only spanner in the works? Wresting  the chocolate from my children in the first place. I did notice a significantly diminished hoard of Easter chocolate sitting on the kitchen bench this morning. An obvious reaction to  my  announcement last night that I would be using it in my baking next day. One taste of these brownies, however, all was forgiven and the disappearing eggs restored to their rightful place.

Brownies with Ginger, Turkish Delight and Easter Eggs

Makes 20 squares

250g butter, chopped
200g chocolate, preferably dark, roughly chopped (plain Easter eggs or bunnies suitable)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tablespoons chopped crystallised ginger
1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
50 g turkish delight, roughly chopped
100 g assorted Easter eggs, mini eggs left whole, remainder chopped

PREHEAT oven to 160 C. Grease and line a 20 cm square baking tin.
MELT chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Add vanilla and ginger. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
PLACE sugar, eggs, cocoa, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and stir well until combined.
POUR batter into prepared tin. Scatter Turkish delight and  Easter eggs evenly over the top of the brownie mixture.
BAKE for 40 – 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. If top appears to be browning too quickly cover with a sheet of foil. Allow to cool slightly in the tin before slicing into squares. Dust with icing sugar.