By popular demand . . .
Modesty doesn't become me. I just took these out of the oven for
tomorrow's tv pitch. And I measured along the way. I so good.* They
are, of course, based on the Girl Brownies.


8/26/05 Blue Ribbon Brownies
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Friday, August 26, 2005

I've been asked to provide the recipe for my Chocolate Cherry Amaretto
Brownies, 2004 Minnesota State Fair blue ribbon winner. Oh, yeah!

Enjoy them and remember where you got the recipe, eh?

Barb Schaller's Blue Ribbon Chocolate Cherry Amaretto Brownies
2004 State Fair Blue Ribbon Winner
© Barbara Schaller 2005

1/2 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 oz) unsalted butter
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp Amaretto di Saronno liqueur
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup Gedney State Fair Cherry Preserves (Barb Schaller's recipe)
1 cup toasted walnuts
1-1/2 cups cake flour (6-1/2 ounces, ~170g)
1 tsp baking powder

Move oven rack to middle of oven. Line a metal 9x13" baking pan with
parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Chop the cherries in a food processor or with great skill and a sharp
knife; set aside.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2-quart microwave safe glass mixing
pitcher, about two minutes at full power. Stir to melt chocolate
completely and stir in cocoa powder.

Whisk in Amaretto, almond and vanilla extracts, salt, and sugar. Whisk
in the eggs, one at a time. Add the Cherry Preserves, the reserved
chopped dried cherries, walnuts, and mix well.

Combine the flour and baking powder and whisk into chocolate mixture
until no white flour remains. Pour into parchment-lined baking pan and
bake at 350° for about 33-35 minutes, using a toothpick to test for
doneness. Fudgy crumbs are okay, wet batter on the pick is not.

When done, remove from oven and set pan on a cooling rack to cool for
about 15 minutes. Remove brownies from pan to finish cooling: tilt pan
and quickly slip the brownies from the pan using the parchment to lift
and pull them out. You should be able to do this without wrecking the
brownies.

When completely cooled, frost with your favorite chocolate icing to
which 1/3 cup Gedney Cherry Preserves and 2-3 Tbsp Amaretto di Saronna
liqueur have been added. Lick the bowl of any remains! Cut into 12-24
pieces, depending on your lust for chocolate and cherry! Store covered
at room temperature for a day or two (if they last that long) or freeze
for later enjoyment.

Notes: Yes, I do use unsalted butter, cake flour, real almond extract,
and a flat wire whisk for mixing. If you don't, don't complain to me
about it. In fact, don't complain to me anyway! "-)

And I do hope you will enjoy these as much as we and the Fair Judging
staff did! A cup of good coffee or an icy cold glass of milk will only
enhance the experience. Oh, baby; oh, baby.

Dobru' chut'! (The Slovak equivalent of "Enjoy!")

Thanks for looking! I may have pictures later. Or I may not.

-Barb Schaller, Burnsville, Minnesota
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Several notes since 8/18/05