Deliciously Festive Cherry Brownies

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Growing up, I always picked the cherry flavor for everything; cherry gum, cherry cough drops, cherry syrup, cherry vitamins, cherry Lip Smackers... Unfortunately, I can’t say that my cherry obsession has really toned down since then. Even though I don’t take cherry vitamins anymore, I still think cherries are always a good option, for everything. Their sweet and rich smell is perfect for candles, and their equally sweet taste turns any recipe into a success. But do you want to know what makes cherries even better?

Chocolate.

To me, cherries, chocolate and almonds are a match made in heaven. That’s what inspired me these Deliciously Festive Cherry Brownies. They are perfect to bring to any Christmas party, or even offer as a gift (only if you make doubles and keep one batch for yourself). Baking never fails to get me into the Christmas spirit; I had so much fun making these! I hope that you’ll like them too and that they’ll bring some of the Christmas magic to you. Cheers!

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Deliciously Festive Cherry Brownies

These moist, sweet and decadent brownies are the perfect Christmas snack to have in that downtime before opening the presents. Plus, they are so simple, it’ll be easy to whip up another batch once they’re all gone (yeah, they’re that good)!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup cherries, roughly chopped
• Chocolate chips to sprinkle on top
  

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Grease an 8-inch square pan and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, toss together the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the almond extract.
5. Add the flour. Be careful not to over-mix.
6. Lastly, very carefully fold in the cherries.
7. Pour the batter into the greased pan, and use a spatula to spread evenly.
8. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
9. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from pan.
10. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
11. Wrap up in a nice tin box and bring to your Christmas party!
    

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Extra tips:

• You can also line your baking pan with parchment paper and let some hang on the sides; that will make it easier to pull your brownies out once they are cooked.
• When mixing the flour with the cocoa powder, make sure to break any lumps that might have formed, especially in the cocoa powder.
• If you end up bringing these to a Christmas party, make sure to grab one before you let your guests dig in. These won’t last long.
  

If you end up recreating this recipe, make sure to use the hashtag #teaandmascara and tag me in your photos.

Happy Christmas baking!

Much love,
-TM-