Extra Virgin Olive Oil Brownies With Fresh Cherries & Dark Chocolate Chunks

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So what’s been happening at Sweetest Kitchen HQ lately?  Well, to make a long story very short, my daughter turned 9 and she received a cat for her birthday.  This was a decision I was against from the beginning, as soon as my husband mentioned that it might happen.  I have nothing against pets, nothing at all – I love animals – , but I knew who would be taking care of it.  And I have enough to take care of already.

But on the morning of my daughter’s party, my husband left early to drive to the RSPCA and choose a cat.  I still didn’t believe this was happening.  I felt certain he’d come back empty-handed because he’d realize how silly this is.

Instead, he came back with a cat-carrier in his hands and there was actually a cat inside.  This was for real.  It actually happened.  We own a cat.

He’s a lovely gingery-colored cat who is a bit over a year old.  Although I know hardly anything of his past, I do know he had been attacked by a dog.  He came with the name of Jupiter, but we’re all calling him Juju for short.

To get Juju acquainted with the way things work around here, I decided to tell him about brownies.

And not just any brownies.  Brownies made with pure chocolate, fruity extra virgin olive oil, fresh cherries and dark chocolate chunks.  And he watched me fold the chocolate through the batter as I told him how it was done and how delicious these would be.  But he lost interest after about 2 seconds and jumped off the counter to clean a leg or two in some sunlight.

Anyway.

These gooey brownies are made with extra virgin olive oil, which replaces the butter, and gives the brownies a fruity taste.  To add to that fruitiness, fresh cherries are scattered throughout.  But I couldn’t just stop there, I had to throw in some dark chocolate chunks as well for that extra ooey gooey.

Oh my.  Did I mention they are ooey gooey?

My tips… use the fruitiest and best quality extra virgin olive oil.  Use the best quality 70% dark chocolate, for both melting into the batter and for the chunks.  Use fresh, ripe cherries.  This is a killer combination.  These brownies are perfect in every way, especially if you love the ooey gooey.

And yes, I’m using the same two props yet again.  Wooden board and linen.  I love them to pieces.  I’ve jumped upon the hessian bandwagon now, as well.  Although I’m not extremely happy with my photography for this post, I hope the pictures will tell you how amazing these brownies are and that you should go bake a batch right now.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Brownies With Fresh Cherries & Dark Chocolate Chunks

 

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Cook time

25 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Decadent, ooey gooey brownies made with fruity extra virgin olive oil, fresh cherries and dark chocolate chunks.

Author: Adapted from Technicolor Kitchen

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 115g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup (80ml) fruity extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup (150g) caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup (70g) all-purpose
• 1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder (natural will work as well)
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt (or table salt)
• 70g fresh cherries, pits removed and cut into fourths
• 70g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped into bite-sized chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly grease a 20cm (8-inch) square pan and line with parchment paper.
2. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl and melt it over a saucepan of barely simmering water (ensure the bowl does not touch the water). Whisk in the oil, then cool.
3. Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar on medium speed until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Fold in the vanilla and the cooled chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour, cocoa and salt. Lastly, gently fold in the cherries and the chocolate chunks. Stir briefly to combine. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, it will be quite thick.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is dry and crackly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out a little wet. Cool completely, then cut into squares.

Notes

If you'd like to decorate the top of the brownies with cherries, as I have, which is optional!, just grab a handful of fresh cherries, cut them in half, discard the pits, and push the cherries, cut side down, into the top of the batter. Then bake as instructed.
If you're unsure how to fold through the ingredients (folding can actually be quite tricky and there is a technique!), just call my cat. He can give you exact details.

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