{Gluten-Free} Cab Franc Brownies with Drunken Cranberries

"Drunken Cranberry Brownies" read the subject line of the email from Jenn. We've been best friends for almost twenty years. She knows what I like. She also knows that if a recipe intrigues me, I'll make it and she'll probably get a piece! This is slightly adapted because I needed to make them gluten-free, don't really care for walnuts, and added brown sugar to the mix...

Ingredients

• ¾ C red wine (I used a Cabernet Franc)
• ½ C organic dried cranberries
• ¾ C gluten-free flour blend
• ½ t fleur de sel
• 1 stick (1/2 C) butter
• 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 3 to 4 large eggs (you might need the fourth to get the gluten-free flour to bind)
• ¾ C organic dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ C organic granulated sugar
• ⅓ C unsweetened cocoa powder

Procedure

In a small bowl, pour the Cabernet Franc over the dried cranberries and let plump for at least 30 minutes. Set aside. Drain the cranberries, reserving 2 to 3 T of the wine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8" square baking dish.

Blend together flour and fleur de sel in a bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl over boiling water (think Macgyver'ed double boiler) heat the butter and chocolate until just melted and whisk together. Wait till the outside of the bowl is cool enough to touch, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk well to combine. Add in the flour and mix well. Fold in the soaked cranberries and reserved wine.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake until the top loses its glossy sheen, approximately 45 to 50 minutes.

Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for, at least, another 30 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the edge of pan. Then let cool completely before slicing.

Note: This very rich and a little bit gooey in the middle. And it was so, so good with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!