Black Forest Brownies

I don’t like brownies – said no one, ever. Brownies are a universally loved treat. Even people who don’t love chocolate will still throw back a brownie or two. I’ll admit, I grew up on brownies made from box mixes. And they were damn good! I remember Acme markets had a store brand boxed mix and it was my absolute favorite. As an adult, I graduated to the Ghirardelli boxed mix and I wondered, why would anyone even bother making a brownie from scratch when the boxed ones are so good? Answer – because there’s no boxed mix that has Amarena cherries in it.

What is an Amarena cherry?

And if you have ever had an Amarena cherry, you know they change your life. Yes, they are change-your-life-cherries. Amarena cherries are dark, sour Italian cherries. They come packaged in a luscious, sweet syrup and are a complete game changer in desserts and drinks. I had my first Amarena cherry in a Manhattan cocktail several years ago and I haven’t had a maraschino cherry since. These cherries make everything better, and combining them with rich, fudgy chocolate in these Black Forest Brownies was a no-brainer.

How to make Black Forest Brownies

These Black Forest Brownies are almost as easy to make as a boxed mix. You’ll melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave, so the use of a double boiler isn’t necessary. Then you’ll mix your wet and dry ingredients together.

Use a fork to remove the Amarena cherries from their syrup so that you’re not taking too much of the syrup into the brownie batter, but also not too little. Give the cherries a rough chop and toss them into the batter. Two bowls and you’re done. The end product is dark and decadent with bits of luxurious cherries throughout.

Be sure to allow these Black Forest Brownies to cool completely before digging in, as they’ll be a little crumbly if you take them out of the pan too soon. Then, just pour yourself a big glass of ice cold milk and enjoy!

Black Forest Brownies

A decadent combination of rich, fudgy chocolate and syrupy dark cherries that are easy to make and taste gourmet!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

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• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips or block, chopped up
• 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup Amarena cherries drained and chopped

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray or line bottom and sides with parchment paper. Heat butter in a medium-sized bowl in the microwave in 20 second intervals until completely melted. Immediately mix the chocolate into the melted butter and stir quickly to melt. If the chocolate does not melt completely, microwave the mixture in 20 second intervals until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture and mix well.
• Remove cherries from syrup with a fork and place on a cutting board. Roughly chop the cherries. Fold into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Allow brownies to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Keyword chocolate, dessert

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