Low-Sugar Tart Cherry and Chocolate Brownies

1½ cups (6 ounces) dried, unsweetened* tart cherries, chopped

1 teaspoon almond extract

¼ cup plus 1/3 cup bottled or spring water

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I used organic), chopped fine

4 tablespoons sweet (unsalted) organic butter, cut into 4 pieces

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I used Droste brand)

2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks**

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1¼ cups granulated sugar

1¼ cups Swerve sugar replacement

¾ teaspoon salt

1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour

Place the oven rack in the low-middle position and begin heating the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with heavy-duty foil, pushing the foil into the corners. Lightly oil the interior of the foil-lined pan with olive oil. Set aside.

In a small saucepan combine cherries and almond extract with ¼-cup water, while stirring bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn heat off, remove pan from heat, cover pan and let sit for 5 minutes.

Place a medium-large stainless steel mixing bowl over the same burner used for the cherries and set the heat to the lowest possible setting. Add the unsweetened chocolate and butter to the pan and melt, stirring once in a while until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in olive oil, cocoa powder and remaining 1/3-cup water until smooth. Whisk eggs, egg yolks and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Whisk in Swerve, sugar and salt until completely mixed. With a rubber spatula, stir and fold in the flour until just combined, stir in softened cherries and liquid.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth out the surface and bake 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan half way through, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies' center comes out with a few brownie crumbs. Cool on a wire rack for 60 minutes. Using the foil, lift brownies out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool for one hour. Cut into one-inch squares and serve. Makes 98, 1-inch brownies.

Nutrition values per serving: 43 calories (39.6 percent from fat), 1.9 g fat (0.7 g saturated fat), 6 g carbohydrates, 3.3 g sugars, 0.3 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, 10 mg cholesterol, 20 mg sodium.

*Can't find unsweetened cherries? Use sweetened.

**Save the egg whites for mixing with whole eggs for lower-fat and lower-cholesterol scrambled eggs.

Don Mauer