A friend brought over some homemade brownies the other night and they really hit the spot! They’re better for you than the made-from-a-box kind–good-quality dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and there are no trans fats from hydrogenated oils–and this recipe includes omega-3 walnuts and antioxidant dried cherries, too. Yum!

INGREDIENTS

A little oil, for preparing the pan
2 1/8 cups (1 1/4 pounds) good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 cup unsalted organic butter, diced (2 sticks)
3 tablespoons fresh, strong coffee
3/4 cup soft organic brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Lightly oil an 8 x 11-inch baking pan.

3. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently boiling water.

4. While the coffee is hot, add sugar to it, making sure it dissolves. When cool, beat in the eggs.

5. Combine the remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Add melted chocolate to the egg mixture and combine well. Fold into the dry ingredients.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until just firm to the touch.

7. Cut into squares and serve warm or room-temperature.