Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup pitted cherries (fresh, frozen, or canned/drained), halved
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan with butter or non-stick spray, or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal. If you are using frozen cherries, do not thaw them; if using canned, ensure they are patted dry to prevent excess moisture from making the batter runny.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and granulated sugar. Whisk them together until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Beating the eggs thoroughly at this stage helps create that desirable crackly top on the finished brownies.
- Sift the cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder directly into the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see streaks of white flour. Overmixing at this stage will lead to a cake-like texture rather than the fudgy consistency we want.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips and the halved cherries. Distribute them evenly throughout the batter so every slice gets a bit of fruit and extra chocolate. The batter will be thick and glossy.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top with your spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs attached. Do not wait for the toothpick to be completely clean, or the brownies will be overbaked.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. This is the hardest part, but cooling allows the fudgy structure to set. Once cool, lift the brownies out using the parchment paper and cut them into 16 even squares.
- Cook Time: 50 minutes