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?!
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!)
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?
Chocolate Cherry Cordial Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie Base:
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate bar, roughly chopped (I use Baker's brand)
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Cherry Buttercream:
- ¼ cup minced maraschino cherries
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
Chocolate Glaze:
- 5 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, roughly chopped (I use Bakers brand)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9″x13″ baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Brownie Base: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt chocolate and butter together, stirring regularly and taking care to not let it scorch. Remove saucepan from heat.
- Add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the melted chocolate and blend well. Then add flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir to combine.
- Spread brownie batter in prepared pan, in an even layer. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until toothpick just barely comes clean. For a dense, fudgy brownie, take care to not over bake. Let cool completely.
- Cherry Buttercream: Place the minced cherries between two paper towels and lightly press, to extract excess juice. This ensures that the buttercream won't have too much liquid. You will need ¼ cup of minced and "dried" cherries for the buttercream. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, on low speed, combine powdered sugar, cream, butter, and almond extract. Once incorporated, beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add cherry juice and minced cherries, and beat until just incorporated.
- Spread cherry buttercream over cooled brownie base, in a very even layer. Place pan in freezer for 20 minutes.
Chocolate Glaze:
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter. Remove brownie pan from freezer. Then quickly, yet gently, spread warm chocolate glaze evenly over the cold buttercream. The glaze will be thin. Let cool until glaze hardens (refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to speed this up, if you like).
- To achieve clean cuts, dip a thin non-serrated knife into a tall glass of lukewarm water after each cut, and then clean off the knife blade before cutting again. The bars cut best when they are slightly chilled.
These are amazing! The only change I would make is to increase the amount of glaze. It didn’t quite cover the pan. But these are seriously to die for. Thanks!!!!!
So glad you liked these, Julie. The glaze IS thin and needs to be spread quickly. More glaze is good by me. ;)
I made these brownies yesterday. They do look very pretty. The cherry buttercream part is very sweet.
The recipe is mouth watering. Can you please recommend me an alternative for eggs. I don’t eat eggs at all I am a vegetarian. Thanks it will be a great help :)
Oh my
I just got through making these for a church dinner tomorrow and of coarse I. had to sample a couple. Omg, they are fabulous!
Brenda,
These have made me think twice about trying cherries and chocolate again. They look amazing! Brownies + cherry buttercream + chocolate glaze =Mmmmmmmm!
So glad I stumbled upon your beautiful site.
So happy I just stumbled upon these. Cherry and chocolate is one of the best combos on the planet, and you nailed it, Brenda!
My dad loves cherry and chocolate, and I know he’d flip for these fabulous brownies! Wonderful recipe, Brenda!
i love cherries. these look delish!
Well I made these as they were on my mind and woke up at 3 am and made these all I can say is they are AWESOMEEEEEE and not sweet as some people think. Just like eating a cherry cordial with a bonus of brownie. OMG I had to freeze them to keep from eating them. A keeper for sure. Again luv luv this recipe TKS
Yayyyyy!! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Keep playing with brownies – these are DIVINE!!My dad’s favorite chocolate is cherry cordials, he’d love these!
Absolutely gorgeous!
These brownies look yummy Brenda. Oh yes,
brownies in the freezer are a good thing!
I learned that trick from the best! ;)
The chocolate glaze layer is a great idea for this recipe. I can see why you say it is like biting into a cherry cordial. I have to say Brenda, I get a little intimidated sometimes by your recipes because of the length of the instructions, but I LOVE that when I read or make your recipes, I never wonder what you are trying to describe or what to make it in. Your instructions are complete, precise and very welcomed by me. Thank You!!
Your comment makes me smile. Thank you so much for being such a faithful reader here, Wendy. :)
So many great possibilities with brownies and these are a winner for sure!
I like that rule for living… to always have a stash of brownies on hand. I need to bring that into my own life, starting with these yummies!
I’m ok with you continually playing around with recipes for brownies, especially when you create this type of chocolate and cherry combo.
I WANT THESE NOWWWWWWWWW LOL OMG I have to make these soon and I have everything here to make them maybe this w/end as a treat to MEEEEEEEEE. Tks Do you have any recipes using candied ginger???????
I do have a few recipes on here using candied ginger…some shortbread cookies, pumpkin biscuits, and pumpkin cheesecake bars.
Wow, these look fantastic!
Um, yes I would love some this in my freezer right now. Actually, I would really just love some of the fresh on my counter! They look amazing!
These look amazing!