Cherries were on sale at the greenmarket - sweet, overripe black cherries bursting with juice. We could eat cherries all day long, but we wanted to do something a little different with the pound and half we took home. Here's one way to use them up - a cakey, moist brownie with deep swirls of cream cheese and chunks of cherries.
Cherry Cream Cheese Brownies
9x13 pan of brownies
Brownies
1 1/2 cups halved, pitted cherries
2 tablespoons Kirsch
6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
4 ounces dark sweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream cheese swirl
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
Heat the oven to 375ºF and grease a 9x13 pan. Prepare the cherries and stir in Kirsch. Let sit for at least an hour.
Melt the chocolate, butter and sugar until liquid in a saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly. Beat the eggs until lightened - at least six minutes in a stand mixer - and slowly mix in chocolate. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the mixture with the vanilla. Stir in half the the cherries.
Whip the cream cheese with the butter, sugar, and almond extract until light and fluffy. Stir in the other half of the cherries and any syrup.
Put the brownie mix in the pan and smooth out. Drop the cream cheese on top in six evenly spaced spoonfuls, then take a thin knife and swirl it through the batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until just set.
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The photo alone makes me want to try these.
view brittanykate's profile
Hey all you bakers:
I like my brownies more dense and fudgy. How can I modify this recipe to achieve that?
Thanks!
view J's profile
J - see the latest post today on the article from Taunton Press. It should give you everything you need. I would suggest two things, however, if you want to adapt this recipe. Use Taunton's chewy brownie - not the fudgy one, which might not be firm enough to hold together with the filling.
Also, add one or two eggs to the cream cheese mixture. Even after baking this swirl is super gooey, and you may need it to be a bit firmer if you're baking it into a chewier, softer brownie.
Good luck!
view faith's profile
How nice to participate in such a responsive site. The bf is sooo into cherries right now, and always into chocolate so I will give these a go. And, frankly, I never met a brownie that I didn't like. Thanks again!
view J's profile
I managed to mess this up by using a pan that was too small, so the cherry topping stayed on top. It's still pretty tasty. :)
view Eve in Hochelaga's profile