Brownies (and wine) make everything better

It’s not often that i open a bottle of wine for dinner and have some remaining, but it happens. So, I asked myself, what can I do with a bit of leftover wine. Usually, I braise some red meat or add it to pasta sauce but I was craving something sweet- honestly, who doesn’t love sweets. So I spent some time cruising the photos on Yummly (wait, you do know about how amazing Yummly is right??? If not, do yourself a favor and check it out). Sure I could have poached out of season pears or made some sort of truffle, but it’s a weeknight and I’m pressed for time. I’m overwhelmed by the delicious images of red wine cake. And then, there it is, the simple yet always tasty red wine brownie.

I decide to run to the store and grab a box mix (those of you who make brownies from scratch, I applaud your energy!) and now I’m on my way. The best part about making brownies is the immediate satisfaction knowing you don’t really have to wait for them to cool to dig in. So I gather all my ingredients and I’m that much closer to chocolatey goodness.

Sure, all appears to be ready to go, but first, I turn on some tunes because cooking and rocking out go hand in hand in this house. Normally, I listen to XM radio, but not for these brownies, this warrants a time hop to my favorite decade- The 80s! Bacioni is in the pot boiling down and I am singing along to my favorites.

Happily dancing around the kitchen, I wonder what can I add to these brownies to make them even better. I wish I had dried cherries to bring out the dark fruit notes in the wine, but I’m out of luck. Mini chocolate chips deliver an added chocolate punch and make the rest of the family pretty happy, so in they go!

Minutes later, chocolatey perfection! The family can barely wait for them to cool and be cut. One bite in and they hit the spot. Back to kitchen dancing.

Red Wine Brownies

1 box brownie mix (prepare as directed replacing water with wine)

1 cup of red wine reduced to 1/4 cup- I used Bacioni, but Chambourcin or any dry red will work.

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Optional: 1/4 cup chopped dried cherries

Reduce wine over medium-low heat. Add to brownie batter in place of water and bake brownies as directed. Cut, cool and enjoy.