Cherry and Spice Brownies

Because these cookies have so much going on in both the flavor and the texture departments, a little goes a long way—you can cut these into inch-square two-bite bits and get a big bang out of your baking effort. When it’s not cookie-exchange time, cut them into more generous squares, top them with ice cream and maybe some fudge sauce, and you’ll have a great holiday dessert. If you’re really baking for a crowd, make two and a half times the recipe and bake the brownies in a 9-by-13-inch pan. The brownies will need a little more time in the oven this way—make sure to test for doneness with a knife.

(Makes 64 brownie bites)

Created by: Dorie Greenspan

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
• 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light-brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Grated zest of ½ orange
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup plump dried cherries (make sure they’re soft)

• 1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325° F. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil, and butter the foil or use nonstick foil.
• 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and spices.
• 3. Put a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Put the butter in the bottom of the bowl, then add the chopped chocolates. Heat, stirring occasionally, just until the ingredients are melted—don’t get them so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan.
• 4. Using a whisk, stir the sugars into the butter-chocolate mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and the grated orange zest and whisk the mixture energetically. Gently mix in the dry ingredients, stirring only until they are incorporated. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the nuts and cherries. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and even the top with the spatula.
• 5. Bake the brownies for about 25 minutes, or until the top no longer looks wet and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a rack and cool to room temperature.
• 6. When the brownies are cool, turn them over onto the rack, peel away the foil, and invert them onto a cutting board. Using a ruler and a long, thin knife, cut the brownies into 1-by-1-inch bites.

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 51
Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 9mg
Carbohydrate: 5g
Sodium: 21mg
Protein: 1g
Total dietary fiber: 1g

TIP: Storage tips: Well-wrapped and uncut, the brownies will keep at room temperature for 4 to 5 days; cut, they will keep for about 3 days. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.

November & December 2007

Photographer: Jim Franco

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