Roasted Cherry Brownies

The sun is going down sooner already, which is quite unfair seeing it's still 100+ everyday here! I'm back to struggling to get decent pictures with the fading sun so I apologize for the weird lighting...

I saw this recipe originally posted on one of my favorite blogs, Annie's Eats. Dark chocolate covered cherries are so delicious so I knew cherries inside chocolate brownies would be a win-win combo.

I've never roasted cherries before but will again! They were so tasty that I could have eaten the entire baking sheet and left them completely out of the brownies (and I will be roasting some to top a big bowl of ice cream sometime soon!)

You could always incorporate the cherries into your favorite brownie recipe but I liked hers. They were easy to whip up late one night (when I typically get the baking bug!). I sliced and pitted the cherries while we watched episodes of Mad Men (anyone a fan? We're almost done with Season 1) but other than that, it doesn't take much longer than a box mix.

Roasted Cherry Brownies
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1¼ cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Combine the cherries and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a roasting pan and toss well to combine. Roast the cherries for 10 minutes, or until they begin to release their juices. Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ F.

Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with foil. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray. *Note: I used a 13x9 and it worked okay, just cooked faster

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, remaining sugar, vanilla and salt; whisk until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the warm chocolate mixture until incorporated. Then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. Gently fold in the roasted cherries. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to make an even layer. Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares as desired. Store in an air-tight container.