Inspired by traditional Black Forest Cake, these luxurious, moist gluten-free brownies are studded with sweet-sour cherries. It’s gilding the lily, but a dollop of whipped cream on top makes a good thing even better.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (2 ounces) dried sour cherries (soft, lightly sweetened kind)
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) Kirsch, vodka or orange juice
- 1½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, thickly sliced
- 6 ounces 60% to 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (7 ½ ounces) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7 tablespoons (2¼ ounces) brown rice flour
- 5 tablespoons (1½ ounces) tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon (¼ ounce) unsweetened, natural cocoa, such as Hershey’s
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Whipped cream, optional
Directions
Heat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8-inch square pan with baking parchment. (Form the shape by laying the parchment on the back of the pan and snip a small square off each corner for a smooth fit up the sides of the pan.)
Roughly chop the dried cherries. Combine with the Kirsch in a small saucepan and simmer briefly until the liquid evaporates. Set aside.
Combine the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Melt over barely simmering water. Stir to blend and let cool to lukewarm.
Beat the eggs, add the sugar and vanilla, and beat well. Beat in the chocolate mixture. Combine the rice flour, starch, cocoa and salt. Sift on top and beat in just until flour disappears. Stir in the cherries.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top is set and pale brown. A toothpick inserted near the center should emerge slightly sticky. Let cool completely in the pan. Remove to a cutting board, still on the baking parchment, and trim off the crisp sides so that every brownie will be evenly fudgy. Cut into 16 squares, wiping the knife clean after each cut.
Nutritional Analysis:
Calories: 240, Carbohydrates: 27 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 14 g, Cholesterol: 60 mg, Sodium: 50 mg, Fiber: 2 g
Recipes © copyright 2013 by Jacqueline Mallorca. The author of more than a dozen cookbooks, Gluten-Free Living Food Editor Jackie Mallorca’s latest titles include The Wheat-Free Cook and Gluten-Free Italian.
