Sour Cherry and Coconut Fudge Brownies

Things have been CRAZY this week, and like always, when the going gets tough, blogging ends up taking a backseat. I hate that it happens that way, but it’s always the fun stuff you LOVE doing that falls by the wayside when you get busy. I think too that when I was on winter break, I got spoiled by being able to blog whenever on a whim without a schedule or a plan. Now that things are crazy again (understatement of the century), I’ll have to make up for luxury with chocolate. Brownies to be exact.

These tart Cherry and Coconut Fudge Brownies were my contribution to Super Bowl Sunday this past week, along with Neil’s annual crock of cocktail wienies. Neil only watches the Super Bowl if they are involved. I on the other hand prefer brownies with my football. As a Minnesotan hard-wired to hate the Packers, they made losing a tad bit easier. Plus, my Chocolove organic chocolate had poems inside AND was made in Boulder, CO. Can’t get much better than that right?

Ingredients:

adapted from Citrus and Candy
½ cup unsalted butter, chopped
1 cup brown sugar (or regular white sugar)
1/3 cup honey
9.6 ounces/1 ¼ cups of dark chocolate (around 60%, although I used a few different bars)
4 eggs
1 cup flour
¼ cup unsweetened dessicated coconut
½ cup dried sour cherries (or bing cherries if you prefer)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×9 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium to large pot over low heat, gently melt the butter, sugar and honey together until combined and sugar has dissolved.
3. Add chocolate and stir to melt and combine. Remove from heat and cool slightly for 5 minutes Add eggs and whisk until combined. Whisk in the flour and coconut.
4. Scrape batter into baking pan and bake until skewer comes out relatively clean. Baking times seem to vary for this recipe, but my brownies were done at around 40-45 minutes. Watch carefully!

Love these brownies. Fudgy, chewy, with that little flaky, crumbly top that I love and I bet you do too. And in case you were wondering about the poem, here it is:

Toffee

from Love (3)

Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lacked anything.

“A guest,” I answered, “worthy to be here”:
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
“Who made the eyes but I?”

“Truth, Lord; but I have marred them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?”
“My dear, then I will serve”
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my [treat].”
So I did sit and eat.

-George Herbert

Perfect huh? Do you like poetry? What is your favorite poem/poet?