I like being able to whip up a batch of brownies that are company ready during the week. Not possible, you say? Then you haven't considered the power in the combination of chocolate and cherries.
When brought together in a fun dessert that will literally turn your thoughts on this issue upside down, dessert is decadent, beautiful, and fun. And it's fairly simple to put together. Your biggest challenge will be cutting cherries in half, but that can be quick work with a pitter or if you slice frozen cherries in half. Yep, that's right, you can use frozen cherries in this recipe. Can you imagine bringing something like this to Thanksgiving or New Year's Eve later this year?
To help make sure this pretty dessert stays pretty, I like to use parchment on the bottom of the pan and make sure it's a springform pan I'm using. You could just use a cake pan, but for the best guarantee of a nice release, opt for the springform pan with a layer of parchment on the bottom. Enjoy!
Cherry Upside Down Brownies
- ¼ cup butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¾ lb. cherries, pitted and halved (frozen can also be used, but make sure you cut them in half)
- 1 box brownie mix — for small pan, prepared according to the package directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 10-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.
Melt the butter and carefully pour into the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top of the butter. Arrange halved cherries, cut side down, over the butter and brown sugar. Set aside.
Prepare the brownie mix according to the package instructions. Pour the batter over the cherries in the pan and smooth with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean. Remove the brownies from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
Loosen the edges of the brownies with a knife or thin spatula. Open the spring on the pan and carefully invert the brownies onto a cake stand or serving platter, lifting the base and parchment paper away from the brownies. Slice and serve the brownies warm or at room temperature. Store any leftovers completely cooled in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Yields: 10-12 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour