Berry Fudgy Brownies

An incredibly rich and fudgy brownie with a deep chocolate flavor embellished with the tart flavor of cranberries. The tart berry makes the perfect counterpoint to a super sweet brownie and are an unexpected but lovely surprise.

I used frozen, leftover cranberry sauce from Christmas, but a berry jam or preserve is a shoe-in. The cranberry sauce has to be homemade, the canned stuff won’t work here. Or anywhere.

These are a thin, soft brownie that taste delicious chilled. Bursting with flavor, the combo of sweet and tart is utterly divine.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×13 inch baking pan (for thin brownies) or an 8×8 inch pan (for thicker brownies) with  parchment paper.

2. In a medium saucepan melt butter over low heat (or melt in microwave). Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla, flour and salt. Do not overbeat. Fold in nuts.

3. Spread in prepared pan, drop cranberry sauce by the spoonful over top and use a knife to swirl into batter.

4. Bake (9×13) 28-30 minutes, (8×8) 36-38 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Melt half the chocolate in a small saucepan or in the microwave, remove from heat and stir in the remainder of the chocolate until melted. Drizzle over top using a spoon or a baggie with the corner cut off. Remove to cutting board and cut into squares, wiping knife clean after each cut.