Cherry Chocolate Chip Blondies

    I had some friends over for dinner yesterday and tried a few new recipes out on their palates! For the main course, I made meatballs. But, not just any meatballs, Salisbury Steak Meatballs! I served them over mashed potatoes and they were delish! I paired them with some cabbage steaks and glazed carrots! For dessert, these Cherry Chocolate Chip Blondies! My uncle picked up a huge package of cherries while he was visiting over the weekend, I came upon this recipe and knew I had to make them!

Cherry Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, melted

- 1 cup of packed light brown sugar

- 1 large egg

- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

- 1 cup of flour

- a pinch of salt

- 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

- 1 cup of fresh cherries, pitted, and chopped into fourths

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking pan with tin foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Fold in the flour and salt until just combined. Lightly fold in the chocolate and cherries. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Wait and let them cool for an hour after baking before slicing. 

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Perfect sweet treats!

Make ahead for Valentine's Day!

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon of butter, softened

- 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup

- 2/3 cup of confectioners sugar

- about 20 maraschino cherries, with stems

- 1 (8 ounce) package of chocolate candy melts (or chocolate of your choice)

    Drain the cherries and place them on a paper towel and let dry for several hours. In a bowl, mix together the butter and corn syrup. Sift in the confectioners sugar. Cover each cherry with about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar mixture by molding it like clay. Let sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Melt the chocolate melts according to package. Carefully dip each covered cherry in chocolate and place on a wax papered surface. If it's cool outside, let them sit out to stiffen. Or, put them in the fridge to set. They are best if they've been made at least a week ahead of time. Store them in an air tight container until you're ready to eat. 

This is what the sugar mixture should look like.