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Dark and Delicious Cherry Brownies


I've been playing around with my Chocolate Brownie recipe again. This time, Mike reckons I may just have come up with a version that is even more delicious than the original Ultimate Chocolate Brownies. Given that he doesn't even like cherries (and I'm not fussed over them either), I'm taking that as something good.


These are really moist and fudgy, and intensely chocolatey. I used dried cherries, which I picked up some time ago out of curiosity, and  which had then sat in the cupboard. This month's We Should Cocoa challenge (which is cherries) gave me a good excuse to use them. The cherries plump up during baking, and as they are quite tart (think a milder version of dried cranberry), really balanced out the sweetness of the chocolate beautifully.

Chocolate Cherry Brownies

Ingredients (makes 16)

185g unsalted butter
185g 70% dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
3 large eggs
275g caster sugar
85g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
80g good milk chocolate, chopped (I used Cadbury's Dairy Milk)
85g soft dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 160 Fan / 180 conventional / 350 F / Gas 4. Grease and base line a 20cm square brownie pan (I use a Silverwood loose based tin as it's easier to remove the brownies at the end - this one is similar. I also use a reusable liner which I've cut to size to fit the tin - you can then just wash and reuse).


Place the butter and dark chocolate into a bowl and place this over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir gently until well melted and mixed. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.


Place the eggs in a large bow; with the sugar. Using a hand mixer, mix on high speed until the sugar has dissolved and it is light and fluffy - about double in size. When it's ready, the mixture should leave a trail over the surface for a few seconds.


Gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs mixture. Continue, gently, until it is incorporated.


Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the mixture and fold in.


Add the milk chocolate and cherries and gently fold in.


Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes. The top should look shiny and papery, and the sides just coming away from the tin. If the centre is still wobbly, it's not quite done, so give it a few more minutes, but be careful as you don't want to over bake them - the idea is that they are squidgy after all.


Leave in the tin to cool completely, then run a palette knife around the edge of the tin to loosen, and turn out. Cut into 16 squares. These will keep in an airtight container for a good 3-4 days. That's if you can resist them - I couldn't stop myself picking at the bits of chocolate left on the tin, as it was just too good to leave!


I tarted some of mine up with some fresh cream, sifted cocoa powder and a real cherry. This was a bit unnecessary, as they tasted just as great without.


Aaanyways, as this month's We Should Cocoa challenge is cherries, I'm sending these over to Janice at Farmersgirl Kitchen, as she is guest hosting this month. [For those who don't know, the challenge is run by Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog and Chele of Chocolate Teapot - they pick a different ingredient every month to pair with chocolate.] The roundup will appear at Farmersgirl Kitchen around the end of August.

Susie
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Comments

  1. Cupcake Crazy Gem08 August, 2012 11:31

    I'm not a cherry fan either but these look really good, that cream on top is very inviting! and I've never made a brownie before where you beat the eggs and sugar together first - how interesting! I must give that a try some time! My husband has me on my own brownie quest at the moment...to try and recreate brownies as good as the ones we get at the gourmet food markets in London!

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    Replies
    1. Susie @ Fold in the Flour08 August, 2012 11:41

      Thanks Gem. I love this recipe as it doesn't seem to matter whether I just do them plain or add something else into the mix, the brownies turn out perfect!Really fudgy and moist on the inside, but with that papery crust you can bite into. I made these last Friday and they still taste pretty good (had one this morning!):)

      Delete
  2. Hello08 August, 2012 17:25

    I've never tried cherries in a brownie, but yours look delicious. Plus the cherries must count as one of your five a day :-) x

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    Replies
    1. Susie @ Fold in the Flour10 August, 2012 11:55

      They were very, very delicious, and the thought that they are contributing to your five-a-day can't be bad - right? :)

      Delete
  3. Janice08 August, 2012 18:24

    Oh they look brilliant. Dried cherries have a nice sharpness to them and I'm sure would be part of what added to the chewiness. Thanks for entering We should Cocoa this month.

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    Replies
    1. Susie @ Fold in the Flour10 August, 2012 11:55

      Thanks Janice - it's a brilliant challenge and I love taking part :)

      Delete
  4. Jo08 August, 2012 19:56

    These look delicious! I love the sound of sharp cherries with rich, fudgy chocolate. My Dad is a cherry and chocolate fan so this would appeal to him.

    Also love the photo of the cooled chocolate being mixed into the egg and sugar mixture. Yum.

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  5. Claire09 August, 2012 07:48

    I love chocolate and cherries yum!
    http://claire-stitchart.blogspot.co.uk/

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  6. cornercottage09 August, 2012 13:08

    These brownies look really gorgeous - especially topped with cream and cherry!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Phil in the Kitchen09 August, 2012 22:50

    These do look so good. I don't think I've ever used dried cherries - I've really got to try them.

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    Replies
    1. Susie @ Fold in the Flour10 August, 2012 12:01

      Thanks Phil. I have really got into using dried fruit like cranberries, blueberries and now cherries - they are so usefu to have in the cupboard and are that little bit different in things. I've just used blueberries in Welsh Cakes for example! :)

      Delete
  8. Unknown10 August, 2012 02:04

    Oh, these look amazing. I am still at a loss for WSC - I saw some organic dried cherries from Canada this morning and thought, ooh, I could use them - and then I realised they were $12 (about 5 quid) for 50g! Back to the drawing board for me then...

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    Replies
    1. Susie @ Fold in the Flour10 August, 2012 12:07

      Thanks Lucy - glad you like them. Ooh, that does sound pricey! I found mine at Costco - they had a large bag (around 500g) for about £4. Not organic though. Sometimes these warehouse places are good for something! :)

      Delete
  9. Choclette12 August, 2012 13:50

    These brownies look superb. I'm sort of pretty sure they taste superb too! I made some last year using a bar of G&B cherry chocolate and they turned out well - still haven't posted them. Love the cream and cherry on top. Thanks for playing along with WSC :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susie @ Fold in the Flour15 August, 2012 06:11

      Thanks Choclette - was a fun challenge this month, and it means I have discovered cherries! :)

      Delete
  10. Baking Addict12 August, 2012 23:59

    I'm not a huge fan of cherries but I find it hard to say no to brownies! These look decadent especially with the whipped cream on top - I'll try a slice please :)

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    Replies
    1. Susie @ Fold in the Flour15 August, 2012 06:13

      Thank you! Mmmm, love Brownies. I'll send a slice over - oh, I'll have to make another batch! ;)

      Delete
  11. Anne27 August, 2012 21:18

    Oh so yum! The crumb on the brownies looks perfect amount of cake to fudge ratio!

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    Replies
    1. Susie @ Fold in the Flour30 August, 2012 21:39

      Thanks Annes - I certainly think they are pretty good! Thanks for stopping by. :)

      Delete

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