Roasted Cherry Brownies

As far as news from our personal life goes— today is the day the mover's are coming to take our stuff, and then as of tomorrow, Seattle will be in the rearview mirror of our convertible as we embark on our road trip (and new life) in Los Angeles! I am ridiculously excited to drive the PCH all the way down the West Coast in a convertible, top down and wind in my hair! However, this trip means no cooking or baking for awhile. Fortunately, I was dessert-making up a storm over the last few weeks, so we've got lots (and lots) of posts backlogged, and of course we'll have much to share about the trip, life in LA, and eventually we'll get unpacked and put our kitchen to good use.

Now on to the food....

I remember seeing roasted cherry brownies on the web a long, long time ago and mentally earmarked that idea. Now with a bag of fresh cherries in the fridge and a lot of cocoa powder to go through before the move, I made these brownies.

These brownies are super fudgy, like the cosmic brownies sans the ganache topping and chocolate covered sunflower seeds. Roasting the cherries intensifies and brings out depth in their flavor. Roasting also changes the texture, making them a little tougher on the outside and almost chewy. I'm definitely curious to explore roasting other fruits soon.

You even get a hint of fruitiness in the brownie batter itself courtesy of the grenadine syrup, making these brownies a cherry lover's dream!

Roasted Cherry Brownies

yields one 8x8" pan

• 1 1/4 cup cherries, pitted
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons grenadine
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 450º. Place pitted cherries on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes or until their juices are starting to ooze out and bubble. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350º.
2. In a large bowl, combine the butter, cocoa powder, and sugar until smooth.
3. Add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and grenadine.
4. Add in the flour and mix until just combined.
5. Line an 8"x8" baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving foil hanging over both edges.
6. Pour the brownie batter into the baking dish, then press the roasted cherries into the top.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until brownies are set.
8. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.