Chocolate Cherry Cordial Brownies

posted on February 10, 2014 by Brenda

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Brownies - afarmgirlsdabbles.com

I promise you this:

  • I will never stop playing around with recipes for brownies.

Now how’s that for a conviction?

Those who are near and dear to me know that my principles regarding chocolate and brownies are firmly committed. Infallible. Some might even say absurd. (I must never be without a hidden stash of brownies in the freezer.)

But wouldn’t you like to have a few of these Chocolate Cordial Brownies tucked away in your freezer right now?!

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Brownies - afarmgirlsdabbles.com

These brownies, with their contrasting chocolate and cherry layers, are both pretty and playful. When biting through that thin layer of chocolate glaze over the top, to reach the creamy cherry buttercream, it truly reminds me of sinking my teeth into a sweet cherry cordial. (My aunt Patsy makes the best homemade cherry cordials ever!)

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Brownies - afarmgirlsdabbles.com

You already know how much I love the chocolate and cherry combination:

So it should come as no surprise how much I adore these Chocolate Cordial Brownies, too. The brownie base is moist and fudgy, absolute perfection. It could easily stand on its own. But when tempted by a pretty-in-pink maraschino cherry buttercream and a glazing of dark chocolate…why would it ever want to?

Print Recipe

Cherry Cordial Brownies

Yield: 24 brownies

Ingredients:

for the brownie base:

  • 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
  • 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1-1/2 c. sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

for the cherry cordial buttercream:

  • 1  10-oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained, juice reserved
  • 1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1 T. heavy cream
  • 1 T. reserved maraschino cherry juice
  • 1 tsp. pure almond extract

for the chocolate glaze:

  • 2  1-oz. squares semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2 T. unsalted butter

Directions:

for the brownie base:

Preheat oven to 325°.

To achieve ultra clean cuts, prepare a pan with a foil or parchment paper liner. Fold a long piece of heavy foil into a 13" wide strip and place inside a 9'' x 13'' metal baking pan, leaving overhang on 2 long sides. Spray foil with nonstick spray. If you're not looking for perfect brownie cuts, simply spray pan with nonstick spray and eliminate the foil lining.

Stir butter and chocolate in large heavy saucepan over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, then eggs, one at a time. Whisk in vanilla and salt, and then sift flour over. Stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake brownies until puffed and dry-looking and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.

for the cherry cordial buttercream:

Coarsely chop the cherries. Place a paper towel on a dinner plate and spread the chopped cherries out on top of it. Gently press another layer of paper towel on top of the cherries, soaking up excess juice. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, cream, cherry juice, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high until fluffy, another 1 to 2 minutes. With a spatula, fold in the chopped cherries. Spread over the cooled brownies in an even layer and then place pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

for the chocolate glaze:

On the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, gently melt together the chocolate and butter. Take care to not let it scorch. Drizzle over the chilled cherry buttercream layer, and then quickly and gently spread the glaze to an even layer. The glaze will be thin. Cool until glaze hardens.

If you lined the pan with foil, use a knife to cut around the edges of the pan and loosen any areas that might have gotten stuck. Grab the 2 long foil edges and gently lift brownies from the pan. Place on a large cutting board and cut into squares. To achieve clean cuts, dip your knife into a tall glass of warm water after each cut, and then clean off the knife blade before cutting again. The bars cut best when they are chilled.

from a farmgirl's dabbles

posted in Bars & Brownies, Chocolate, Desserts & Sweets, Fruits, Holiday, Valentine's Day
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