Cherry And Spice Brownie Bites

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pcs
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 grated orange, zest of
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (used pecans because that is what we had and it was still great)
• 1/2 cup plump dried cherries (make sure they are soft)

Recipe

• 1 center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325f degrees. line an 8" 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"x1" bites.
• 7 storage tips: wellpwrapped 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.