He hasn’t tried them yet, but these Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownies are for my brother, Josh. Growing up, people would ask if Josh and I were twins because we were close in age, and pretty close to inseparable. While we don’t look much alike, I guess you could have called us “Irish twins” since we were just over a year apart, and I can’t think of a childhood memory that doesn’t include him.
Josh and I have a few things in common, first and foremost being a love of sweets. We probably inherited the sweet tooth gene from our dad who enjoyed a milkshake almost every day of my early life, and who always had some sort of Hostess product packed in his lunch.
Over the years, our tastes and interests have changed, and Josh and I spend far less time together than we used to. I still have a sweet tooth, but I think my tastes have become more refined. I think the treats I bake from scratch are superior to the packaged treats we loved as kids. Josh, however, still keeps a supply of Hostess around- I’ve seen the stash he keeps in his shop!
I’m the big sister though, and even now I think it’s my job to teach him a thing or two.
How these brownies came to be.
As I mentioned, these were created for my brother. Yes, we both have a sweet tooth. And, yes, I feel a need to convince him that everything is better from scratch. But, why Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownies?
Do you have a favorite treat? Something that all your friends and family know they can get for you because you will appreciate it? Something that your mom goes out of her way to find for you when there is a special occasion? My entire family knows that Josh loves a few things. At Easter, we will get him Cadbury Creme Eggs. At any other time of year, and especially around the winter holidays, we get him Queen Anne Cherry Cordials. You know the ones: sweet cherries floating in syrup, surrounded by a milk chocolate shell. Josh loves them. If I’m going to make a treat in honor of my brother, it’s going to incorporate some of his favorite things!
Here’s what you will need:
Below you will find the ingredients you absolutely must have. Obviously, butter, sugar, chocolate, and cherries are must haves for a Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownie. I will suggest a few optional ingredients as well. The brownies will be delicious without the enhancements, but if you really want to up the cherry flavor, consider using some extracts.
This recipe calls for the use of dried cherries in the brownie. For the cherry filling, you can use fresh or frozen pitted cherries. I used frozen since I keep them on hand. You will need two packages of chocolate chips; one for the brownie layer, and one for the chocolate topping. To up the cherry flavor in the filling, consider adding cherry extract. Almond extract also works well and is probably something you have on hand.
Pro Tips:
I have mentioned before that I am a lazy baker who does not like to wash extra dishes. The brownie layer can be made in one bowl, and you can mix it with a hand mixer, or even a wooden spoon. Melt the butter and chocolate first, and then add your other ingredients to the same bowl. Brownies don’t like to be over mixed, so a wooden spoon can work just fine.
I’ve addressed this in previous posts, but brownies should be baked in a metal baking pan. Glass conducts heat differently, and you are more likely to have underbaked brownies if you use a glass pan. It’s not to say you can’t make adjustments if glass is your only baking option, but metal will yield best results. This is especially important for these brownies. I love a good gooey brownie, but we need to make sure this brownie can support toppings. This is still a fudgy brownie, but it has enough structure to hold the toppings, and to give some texture contrast- a mouthful of chocolate cherry goo was not the goal here.
Make sure your oven has preheated for at least 30 minutes. Place your glass pan on a metal cookie sheet to bake. Reduce your oven temperature to 325, and increase your bake time. Use a toothpick inserted into the very center of your brownies to check for doneness. You want moist crumbs, but not liquid on the toothpick. Glass pans are known to bake the edges quickly and leave the center soupy.
Ordinarily, I suggest erring on the side of underbaking since brownies will continue to set up once removed from the oven. For this recipe, however, use the toothpick method to make sure brownies are done. As noted above, you want moist crumbs, but not liquid on the toothpick. The brownies are the base layer for this dessert so they should be done enough to support the toppings.
I like sweets, but this is a lot of brownie/dessert. You can cut the recipe in half and bake this in an 8″ square pan.
In the brownie I use dried cherries. I prefer Mariani cherries (as pictured above) because they are a bit more tart. For the filling, you can use whatever fresh or frozen cherry you prefer, but again, I like a bit of tartness since the dessert is so sweet. I used frozen tart pie cherries in this recipe.
When making the filling, you are looking for a light, creamy, frosting-like layer. With enough mixing, I have been successful with the measurements given in this recipe. Cherries will have different levels of juice, however, so you may need to add a bit of powdered sugar to get the consistency just right. Follow the notes in the recipe.
Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownies
A fudgy brownie layer topped with sweet, creamy cherry filling and finished with chocolate topping makes for a delicious treat.
Ingredients
For the Brownie Layer:
12 oz chocolate chips
3/4 cup (12 Tablespoons) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup dried cherries
For the Filling:
1 cup butter at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup pitted cherries fresh or frozen and thawed
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cherry or almond extract*
For the topping:
12 oz chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9×13 metal baking pan with parchment.
For the brownies: In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and chocolate, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and incorporated. Stir in the sugars and mix to incorporate. Add the eggs and stir to blend. Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Once incorporated, add the dried cherries. Spread the brownie batter into the baking pan and bake for 22-25 minutes until set. Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature before topping with the cherry filling.
For the filling: Place cherries (fresh or thawed, include juice if thawed) in a blender and pulse a few times to form a chunky cherry puree. In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, or using a stand mixer, mix butter, powdered sugar, salt and extract until light and fluffy. Add the cherry puree and continue to mix until well incorporated. The filling may appear wet or have a slightly curdled texture before the cherry has fully incorporated. Continue to mix, and the texture should resolve to become a light, creamy frosting.* Spread the filling over the cooled brownies.
For the topping: Again, using a microwave, combine the chocolate and 1 Tablespoon of butter. Melt the chocolate, stirring every 30 seconds. Once melted, pour over the cherry filling and spread gently to cover. Allow the chocolate to set before cutting into servings.
Notes
Cherry extract will boost the cherry flavor in the filling for this dessert. Almond extract works well as a substitute.
The cherry juice should incorporate into the filling with enough mixing. Having said that, however, some cherries will have more juice than others. If, after mixing for several minutes, the filling still seems wet instead of creamy, increase the powdered sugar by 1/4 to 1/2 cup, adding a few Tablespoons at a time.
More:
Brownies are a fun treat to share with friends and family. Of course, I plan to share these with my brother, but not everyone loves chocolate covered cherries as much as Josh. I have a number of other layered treats to consider. Try my Cookie Dough Brownie Bar or my Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies.
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