Indulge in a balance of zest, fruitiness, and a kick of liqueur with these cherry and orange luxardo buttercream frosted brownies. The brownies serve as the perfect base, while the luscious Luxardo cherry buttercream adds a luxurious touch. Topped with a hint of citrus, this dessert promises to elevate your baking game and impress everyone at your table. Get ready to dive into a world of flavor where every bite is a celebration!
Tips for Baking with Luxardo for Frosted Brownies
Luxardo is a cherry liqueur most commonly found in cocktails rather than desserts. But it pairs very well with chocolate and citrus, so we thought a brownie recipe was in order. With adding liqueur to baking, a little goes a long way, so start with a small amount and adjust to taste. You want the flavor to enhance, not overpower. If you love the flavor and want to experiment with adding it to other baking recipes, keep in mind that since alcohol doesn’t completely cook off, so you’ll have to be mindful of the baking time. You might need to adjust for moisture in recipes that are already rich.
Cherry and Orange Luxardo Buttercream Frosted Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup butter
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 2 eggs plus one egg white
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups frozen cherries (defrosted throroughly and drained on paper towels)
- ½ cup Amarena cherries
- Zest of 2 oranges
- Luxardo buttercream frosting (See below)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13” baking pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter until fluffy.
- Add almond extract, eggs, and egg white until well combined.
- Gradually add dry ingredients, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times.
- Once well combined, add cherries and orange zest by hand and stir with a spatula until well combined.
- Bake approximately 25 minutes or until a wooden skewer emerges cleanly.
- Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Luxardo Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons Luxardo liqueur
- 1 drop of red food coloring (optional)
- Garnish with additional orange zest
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, beat butter and confectioner’s sugar until thick. Add Luxardo and beat. If necessary, add heavy cream to achieve a spreadable consistency. Add food coloring if pink color is desired.
- Top the brownies with frosting.
- Put in refrigerator for an hour before cutting into squares. Garnish with fresh orange zest.
Recipe by Keith Recker / Photography by Dave Bryce
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