Mini Very Berry Beet Brownie Trifles

 This was a cooking experiment that happened from a minor baking disaster.  I was in charge of dessert for my friend Sherri's birthday and my instructions were espresso and chocolate. So I set out to make a Beet Brownie Espresso Cake (3 hours before the party). My friend Erin Silva was hosting and as she is allergic to eggs I attempted to substitute 3 eggs from my Beet Brownie recipe with "chia seed" egg replacement.  I'm not sure if it was too much water or what happened exactly but the end result was that the brownies didn't set and were more like brownie pudding.  I was planning on making a layer cake but there was no way this would work.  The theme of the night was Tapas, so I took a minute to think about how to salvage the birthday dessert with less than an hour to spare.  Sooo, I ran out to the store and bought some berries and whipped cream and decided the make individual "Mini Very Berry Beet Brownie Trifles".  I garnished them with dark chocolate curls and they were a hit!  One of my favourite things in the kitchen is creating new recipes from "failures".  Such as in life when one door closes another one opens (sometimes you just have to get a little creative :).  You could also make this recipe in a large glass bowl.  Feel free to double the fillings (berry puree, fresh berries and whipped cream) and use all the brownies for a larger trifle.

Mini Very Berry Beet Brownie Trifles:
(approx. 12)
- 1 batch of beet brownies (you will have leftovers!)
- 1/2 cup of berry jam (strawberry or raspberry)
- 1/2 cup frozen berries (strawberry or raspberry)
- 1 cup fresh berries
- 250ml whipping cream
- dark chocolate (Garnish)

- 12 mini glasses (or mini mason jars will work too)

Step #1
Make 1 batch of Beet Brownies (substitute the cherries for raspberries or strawberries or omit them as there will be fresh berries in the recipe). Let cool and cut 1/2 of the recipes into small squares.  Set aside
*You can freeze or eat the rest of the brownies or make more trifle the next day, or eat them :)

Step #2
Make berry puree (mix 1/2 cup jam with 1/2 cup frozen strawberries or raspberries.)

Step #3
Wash berries (if using strawberries, cut into quarters)

Step #4
Prepare whipped cream with 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. maple syrup (I used my whip cream dispenser)

Step #5
Set mini glasses (or mason jars) out and have all your trifle layers ready.  Layer with whipped cream, berries, brownies and top with more whipped cream. 

Step #6
Garnish with dark chocolate (use a vegetable peeler to make chocolate curls)
*Refrigerate until serve (it is best to serve right away or within a few hours as the trifles will settle into the mini glasses and not look as nice.