Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies with Cherry Frosting!

Day three of the Vegan Valentine’s Day Challenge features Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies with Cherry Frosting! The frosting is of course optional but tastes delicious. I will have some healthier Valentine’s Day treats coming up soon; even I get tired of all the sugar! Plus, it’s okay to indulge sometimes but not all of them!

I've been hard at work endlessly baking for this fourteen day Valentine’s Day Challenge and of all things doing my own little crafts for the day as well. Sometimes it’s so much better to create something special and meaningful to give to someone rather than just buying some store bought hallmark card and candy. I’m sure there are more than a few people out there that don’t agree with the whole commercially exploited Valentine’s Day (which I agree that it is) but there’s nothing wrong with showing your significant other how much you love them on this particular day as long as you show them on other days as well!

I hope you’re all having an amazing week! :)

- Alexis ♥

Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies with Cherry Frosting

• 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax meal + 6 tablespoons warm water)
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup Vegan Chocolate Chips, melted
• ½ cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup vegan butter
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 ½ teaspoons cherry juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Frosting

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup vegan butter
• 10 teaspoons cherry juice (if you have cherry extract use 1 teaspoon or more and vegan food coloring for color)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Whisk together your flax meal and water and set aside to thicken.

Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then beat in the flax eggs, vanilla extract, melted chocolate and cherry juice.

Sift together all of your dry ingredients and then add them into the wet ingredients, a cup at a time, until everything becomes well combined (this will be a thick and sticky batter). Fold in the cherries and chopped nuts and beat in the three tablespoons of water if the batter is especially thick.

Transfer your batter to a greased pan and bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until the brownies set.

Let them cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

Beat together the powdered sugar, butter and cherry juice until well combined. If you feel the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Enjoy!