In just a few minutes, we’re making the drive down to Virginia to move my sister in to her new apartment down there, so I’ll keep today’s post pretty brief. I’m excited for a weekend down near D.C.!
Now, these brownies. I’ll mostly let the pictures speak for themselves, but ohhh these might be my new favorite brownies. Super fudgy, with a warm hazelnut flavor (SO good), and a bit of freshness from the cherries. Such a perfect way to showcase those beautiful summer cherries!!
I discovered a new way to pit cherries when making these, since I really hated doing it with a knife when I made the cherry & blueberry cheesecake frozen yogurt. I used a pastry tip! It worked so much better. Just put the cherry, stem-side down, onto the tip, and press gently. It pops right out (with only a bit of juice squeezing out, which I just dumped in with the cherries once it accumulated).
So, now, I’ll leave you with these.. perfect for a weekend treat! You won’t regret it. Have a great weekend, guys! Oh, and if you would like a fun frozen treat, you can make these brownies and turn them into chocolate cherry brownie frozen yogurt!
What’s your favorite flavor combination with chocolate? I love chocolate and raspberries, but I’m starting to really enjoy chocolate and cherry. Chocolate and hazelnut (and peanut!) will always get me, too!
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, coarsely ground
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 4 oz. dark chocolate (I used 72%)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder, optional
- 1 cup cherries, pitted and quartered
Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
Toast the ground hazelnuts at 350ºF on a baking sheet until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
In a small bowl, stir the cooled ground hazelnuts, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan over medium-low heat (or in microwave at 30-second intervals). Allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, beat the honey and eggs together, and then add the vanilla and instant espresso powder (if using). Add the melted chocolate mixture, stirring until smooth. Add in the hazelnut mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined. Fold in the cherries.
Pour the batter into the prepared 8×8 inch pan, smoothing with a spatula. Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes, until set on top but still slightly fudgy in the center (toothpick will come out with some crumbs).
Allow to cool in the pan completely before removing and cutting. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!
https://cookingalamel.com/2013/08/cherry-hazelnut-brownies-gluten-free.html