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gooey decadent cherry brownies stacked

Brandy Cherry Brownies with Cocoa Powder

Chocolate, cherries and brandy - a truly decadent combination that makes these little chocolate bombs fun for adults! These tipsy cherry brownies are best enjoyed with sour cherries, but can also be baked with sweet cherries.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword brownies with cocoa powder, cherry brownies, easy brownie recipes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 9
Calories 320 kcal
Author Kiki Johnson

Ingredients

For the brandy cherries:

  • 50 g sugar 1/4 cup
  • 40 ml juice from the cherries drippings from fresh cherries, or the liquid that forms around frozen thawed cherries, or liquid from a jar of canned cherries, use more brandy if you cannot get to the amount
  • 60 ml brandy 1/4 cup
  • 150 g sour cherries fresh, frozen thawed or from the glass, drained

For the batter

  • 140 g butter 2/3 cups
  • 200 g sugar 1 cup
  • 65 g unsweetened cocoa 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs L
  • 70 g flour 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Put the sugar in a medium-sized saucepan or pan with a heavy base and let it caramelize on medium-high heat without stirring. Deglaze with cherry juice and brandy, bring to a boil, stir and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let the mixture boil for about 5 to 6 minutes so that the sugar dissolves and the sauce is slightly reduced.
  2. Put the cherries in the hot brandy sauce. Simmer everything for 2 minutes, then switch off the stove and let the cherries steep for approx. 2 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Line a 20 x 20 cm baking pan with baking paper.
  4. Melt the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl over a hot water bath, stirring occasionally. When the mixture appears almost hot, stir everything with a whisk and remove from the water bath. The mixture looks like it has curdled at first, but that happens.
  5. Let the mixture cool until the mass is only warm, then stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the two eggs one after the other, stirring vigorously after each egg.
  6. As soon as the batter appears shiny, stir in the flour and use a wooden spoon to stir the dough vigorously several times. Put the batter in the tin and smooth it out.

  7. Now press the cherries lightly into the brownie batter. Save the thick sauce that has gathered around the cherries. Bake brownies for approx. 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle only comes out with a few moist crumbs. Brush the brownie warm with the brandy sauce and let them cool completely before cutting.

Recipe Notes

  • If cherries aren’t your thing, don’t be afraid to experiment with other stone-fruit/liqueur combinations. Plums and port, peaches and calvados, or maybe apricot and Armagnac!
  • These tipsy cherry brownies are best enjoyed with sour cherries, but can also be baked with sweet cherries.
  • Make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder.