Boreal Forest Cranberry Brownies

Mikekey's Note:

This recipe is from a cookbooklet I bought on the Washington coast, "CRANBERRY HARVEST FESTIVAL 2002 COOKBOOK", put out by the Cranberry Coast Chamber of Commerce to raise money to stage the annual festival.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 1 1⁄3; cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen-no need to thaw)
• ½ cup walnuts , chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1⁄3; cup cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ cup cranberry sauce (jellied)
• 2 tablespoons cranberry juice (see note)
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. NOTE: to make cranberry juice for icing (if you don't have bottle juice on hand) simmer cranberries for brownies a few minutes in 1/8 cup water. Drain and reserve liquid and use berries in brownies.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
4. Melt 1 cup butter in large saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup cocoa powder. Add 2 cups sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoons almond extract; stir until well blended.
5. Stir chocolate mixture into flour mixture. Add cranberries and nuts and mix just until blended.
6. Pour batter into baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
7. Cool completely and frost.
8. FROSTING: Melt 3 tbls. butter in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoons almond extract, cranberry sauce and juice; stir well.
9. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until well blended.

Reviews

[flower7]

I have been wanting to make these for some time now and have finally gotten around to it. I wish I hadn't waited so long! I find that brownies usually only need frosting when they aren't that great alone - and since that was not the case here, I did not make the frosting. I used half regular cocoa and half Hershey's special dark cocoa. I also left out the nuts as I'm not a big fan. The next time I come across cranberries at the store (I wish they were available all year round!) I will be making these again - and will buy more cranberries to freeze so I can make these all year round. Thanks for the recipe Mike!

[Ricearoni161]

Wow! Amazing is all I can say. Even if you don't like cranberries, you'll like these because they almost taste like chocolate covered tart cherries! I had leftover cranberries to use from Thanksgiving and these got rave reviews. I think the almond extract really changed the flavor, and the frosting just melted in your mouth. I do think they are better cold so they stay together better. Thanks for a great recipe!

[Sydney Mike]

What could be finer than cranberries & chocolate [unless, of course, it were raisins & chocolate, but that's another recipe]! This was such a great way to combine the two, & including cranberry juice in the icing was the 'icing on the cake' so to speak! Will definitely be making this again & again!