Simple fudgy Black Forest brownies with a hidden cherry surprise.
Black Forest Brownies
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
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Welcome once again to Christmas Cookies Week!
A couple of my posts have been delayed because I had a bad week and didn’t get the posts written and up in time (recipes are done of course). These were the Cranberry Christmas Balls which were supposed to reveal on Wednesday but that post is cooling its heels until tomorrow. And also the Candied Ginger Shortbread which so many of you have told me you are looking forward to has to hold off until next Wednesday (my next open slot). So thank you for your patience.
This recipe is amazingly easy. I got the idea when I saw some chocolate cookies with a cherry on top somewhere and thought how wonderful it would be to have a hidden surprise inside. And I thought it was time for an easy cookie, so made these in the style of my Caramel Car Bomb Brownies and Brookies.
Because, you know. Not everything you bake has to be a lot of work!
Make sure you join me Sunday when I share my recipe for Cranberry Date Bars, a twist on the traditional favorite. Because cookies go on, even outside of the Christmas Cookie Week. But that will probably be my last one before Christmas, as I will be sharing recipes for a number of non-cookie desserts and other baking, among them Swedish Limpa bread, Buche de Noel, Homemade Peppermint Patties, Christmas Confetti Cupcakes (perfect for holiday potlucks at work or school) and Italian Cream Bundt cake.
So it’s going to be a bit busy up until Christmas. I do also have planned to post in the next couple of weeks one of Bill’s favorite Chinese recipes from his youth: Hong Su Har, which is a crispy shrimp in brown sauce with vegetables. As well, I have a great party recipe of Chicken Liver Pate, and on Christmas Eve will be posting my recipe for Burrata Salad with Blood Oranges, Pistachios and Pomegranate. All of it is quite festive (and tastes fabulous too!)
Black Forest Brownies

Allow extra time for icing to harden.
Ingredients:
- 1 (18.4 ounce box) fudge brownie mix
- 2 large eggs (as directed from box)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (as directed from box)
- 3 tablespoons water (as directed from box)
- 1/2 cup cherry preserves
- 12 candied glace cherries
- Wilton white cookie icing
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix together brownie mix according to box directions (mine included the eggs, oil and water) and divide batter in a well-greased 12-cup muffin tin.
- Bake for thirty minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool in pan ten minutes, before turning out to finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Press a large wooden dowel or other suitable item of similar diameter to the cherries into the top of the brownies.
- Fill the hole with cherry preserves and top the hole with a candied glace cherry.
- Warm icing and drizzle over brownies, and allow icing to set and harden, about 45 minutes to an hour.
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com

Christmas Cookies Week
Join us each day this week for delicious cookie recipes!
- Almond Spice Christmas Wreath Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Black Forest Brownies by Palatable Pastime
- Chewy M&M Cookies by Kate’s Recipe Box
- Chocolate Orange Blossoms by Family Around the Table
- Chocolate Marshmallow Meltaways by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Gingerbread Madeleines by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
- Greek Baklava by House of Nash Eats
- Honningkagehjerter by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Lemon Ginger Crinkle Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Grandmas Lily’s Thumbprints by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Mocha Biscotti by Books n’ Cooks
- No Bake Christmas Tree Cookies by Cooking with Carlee
- No-Bake Eggless Chocolate Salami by All That’s Jas
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Simple and Savory
- Peppermint Meltaway Cookies by Making Miracles
- Peppermint Sandies by Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies by Soulfully Made
- The Old Fashioned Cookie by Making the Most of Naptime
- White Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by The Bitter Side of Sweet
What a great little recipe…I know several people who are scared of baking but this is one recipe they could easily figure out without burning the house down!
This looks SO easy, but SO festive. Thanks for sharing, Sue.
We all need one easy peasy recipe for times like these!
You had me at Black Forest.