Gooey, rich, fudge-like double chocolate cherry brownies filled with tinned black cherries, but also fresh cherries too. Drizzled in a sweet cherry glaze, these brownies are easy to make, flavour-packed and irresistible all year long!
Preheat oven and prepare pan. Turn the oven on to 180°C (350°F) and line a 23cm (9-inch) square baking pan with parchment paper (this will make it easier for you to remove the brownies once cooled)
Melt the chocolate and butter. Set a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water making sure not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Place the butter and chocolate into the bowl and stir until melted. Remove bowl from the saucepan and set to one side for the chocolate to cool slightly. Alternatively, place in a heatproof bowl and microwave for 10-second intervals stirring between bursts until melted.
Whisk the eggs and sugar. In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer, whisk the egg, sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until pale and fluffy, for about 3 minutes. This step can be done by hand- it might take a while though to achieve that pale yellow fluffy consistency that you are after!Add chocolate. Whilst continuing to whisk on low, slowly pour in the melted chocolate then mix until just combined
Sift in dry ingredients and add cherries. Then sift into the mixing bowl the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into the mixing bowl. Fold through until a few flour streaks remain.
Add cherries. Strain the tinned cherries, reserving the juice. Add the cherries to the batter. and fold through gently with a rubber spatula. Don’t over mix otherwise you might deflate the eggs.
Pour into pan, add fresh cherries and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth flat with an offset spatula. Distribute fresh cherries over the top. Bake for 22-27 minutes until set around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cook for 5 more minutes if a more set centre is preferred.Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for ten minutes. Use the parchment paper sling to gently lift the brownie out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool before cutting.
Cherry glaze
Make the glaze. Stir the powdered icing sugar and 2 tablespoon of the cherry juice leftover from the tinned cherries and mix until combined. If the glaze is too thick, add a teaspoon of juice at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the chocolate brownies and serve! Enjoy!
Notes
Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.To store: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.To freeze: Brownies freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze individual brownie squares wrapped in parchment paper and placed in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temp or microwave to warm before serving.Tip 1: Swap the white sugar with golden caster sugar, which adds depth of flavour.Tip 2: Watch your baking time. Every oven is different so keep an eagle eye on them. Variations: Instead of cherries, add nuts such as walnuts or almonds to add a lovely crunch