Soak dried cherries in port, then add them to the batter of these brownies for a tasty departure from the every-day, kid-favorite brownie! I love the unexpected flavor zing from the dried cherries 🙂
This is a cake-like brownie, usually not my favorite, as I am solidly in favor of the fudge-y brownie—but I make an exception for these! They work! They are not overly sweet either, another plus!
This recipe came from the now defunct magazine, Fine Cooking, Vol. 79. I changed the method a bit to make it easier and also upped the dried cherries from ½ cup to ¾ cup—dare I add more?!
The original recipe stated that dried cranberries could be substituted for the dried cherries. I guess…for Thanksgiving, maybe 🙂
Chocolate-Cherry Brownies for Grownups!
INGREDIENTS
- Âľ cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup port, tawny or ruby
- 2/3 cup (88 grams, 3 oz.) all-purpose flour
- Âľ cup (70 grams, 2½ oz) unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s, NOT Dutch processed)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 oz, 2 cubes, butter, melted and hot
- 2 cups (400 grams) sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS
- Combine the dried cherries and port in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Do not drain.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9″ square pan with parchment paper or butter and flour.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir to combine—set aside.
- Pour the melted butter into the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Working quickly, whisk in the sugar, and then the eggs, adding one at a time, and the vanilla into the butter.
- Add in the flour/cocoa powder mixture and beat on low until just incorporated
- Stir in the dried cherries and any remaining liquid in the pan.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes—a skewer inserted in the middle of the pan should come out with just a few moist clumps clinging to it.
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today!
