Friday Food: Sour Cherry Port Brownie

Oh, I almost forgot Friday Food, even though I made the brownie on Sunday. We were off to bed when I suddenly remembered. This recipe is from the Christmas 2013 Family Circle.

The only thing I needed to buy was a jar of Morello cherries. The best thing was that I didn't use the whole jar and so I ate them!!

I didn't have port, but I used cherry brandy instead. A fair swap I think.

 

Sour Cherry Port Brownie   makes 20 pieces

• 60ml of port or cherry brandy
• 250g drained Morello cherries
• 250g butter, chopped (ha!! I didn't do that)
• 200g good dark chocolate, 70% is good
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tspn baking powder

For the ganache

• 200g good dark chocolate, 70%!!
• 1/2 cup thickened cream

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C, 160* fan-forced and grease and line a 20 x 30 pan, at least 3cm deep.

Heat the port in a saucepan and bring quickly to the boil. Add to the cherries and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Use the same saucepan to melt the butter and chocolate over a low heat. When it is smooth remove from the heat. Cool for 10 minutes, add the brown sugar and beaten eggs. Whisk well.

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Fold into the chocolate batter.

When the batter is nice and smooth, add the cherries and the port/cherry brandy.

Pour into the lined pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. I checked mine at 50 and 60 minutes and it was not cooked. It felt squishy in the centre and a skewer poked into the middle came out covered with batter. In the end I covered the brownie with foil, and cooked it for another 10 minutes and it was fine.

The brownie may look quite risen and cracked. When you turn it out onto a rack to cool, turn it out onto the top. It will level out, and any cracks will be hidden with the ganache. Excellent!!

While the brownie is cooling, heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan until it is boiling. Add the chocolate and allow it to sit for a minute or so and then stir until smooth. If the weather is warm, pop it into the fridge until it is of a spreading consistency. It was neither hot or cold, so I left the ganache on the bench and then spooned it over the top, and I let some run down the side, artistically!!!

Cut into 20 pieces and serve. It will freeze well, probably better without the ganache, but I think it would be fine really. It looks pretty fabulous and quite Christmassy with the dark red cherries.

 

 

Comments

[Megan]

I was just reading the Christmas Family Circle mag today and saw that recipe in there and thought hmmm, maybe! Looks good, hope whoever got to enjoy that, did!

[Monika]

I was unsuccessfully trying to make a Black Forest Cake for my son's birthday in October. We were all very sad, that it failed. Now I think this Brownie recipe would come close to that cake, and it sounds much easier to make, and tasty too! I will give it a try. Thanks!

[Kate]

You are making me drool, which isn't fair because I have only just finished a luxurious breakkie fryup of red onion, honey brown mushrooms, bacon and homegrown chard on ciabatta with Persian feta! Although the truth is that absence of hunger has absolutely no relevance to the desirability of such gorgeous creations as those brownies!!!

[Bella's mum]

Sounds so good. Will have to try this one!

[Judy Edmonds]

Oh. Gosh. Yum. Drool. Trails off into speechless dribbling...

[mrspao]

I love cherries. I love brownies. What a great combo!!