Dark Chocolate and Roasted Cherry Brownies

My family loves cherries...especially my mom. Whenever they are on sale at the grocery store she usually stocks up and buys three or four bags, knowing that they will get snapped up in a hurry as soon as she brings them home. Back in Tashkent, where my family is from, my mom claims she used to eat sour cherries all the time and they were one of her favorite foods. Around here we don't commonly see sour cherries being sold and my mom really misses them, though sometimes we buy them in a jar. Still, it's not the same as eating them fresh and on the few occasions that I've tried them I have to agree that they taste delicious.

The other day I came across a recipe for brownies with roasted cherries and it sounded like a great combination, especially for my chocolate and cherry loving family. I decided to make the recipe for a family get together over tea, something we commonly do to celebrate special occasions or just catch up. This time we were gathering to welcome home my uncle, cousin, and brother who just spent the week in Montreal, Quebec City, and Ottawa. In addition to the brownies I also made my fig and goat cheese galette because we had an abundance of figs after a recent Costco shopping trip.

The brownies turned out to be a big hit with my family and my mom in particular. I had substituted the actual brownie recipe for a different one that promised "fudgy" brownies and then mixed it with the roasted cherries. I liked the flavor combination of the dark chocolate and the cherries and the brownies did in fact turn out "fudgy" as promised. Best of all, the brownies had such a wonderful smell when I pulled them out of the oven it was hard to resist taking one before going over to my aunt's house later that evening.

Dark Chocolate and Roasted Cherry Brownies

• 2 cups cherries, pitted and halved
• 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 11 oz (300 g) dark chocolate
• 1 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Combine the cherries with the 2 tablespoons of sugar and mix well in a bowl. Spread the cherries on a baking tray in one even layer and roast for 10 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate and butter together over a double broiler then mix in the sugars.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
4. Add the first three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk again until combined. Add the vanilla and lightly stir until combined but don't overbeat.
5. Add the flour mixture to the batter and gently fold it in using a spatula until almost no flour is visible. Fold in the cherries as well just until they are mixed throughout.
6. Pour the batter into a greased or parchment paper-lined 9" x 13" pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Note: It is easiest to cut the brownies once they have cooled.