Fresh cherries + chocolate brownie mix = quick and easy dessert!

Brownies are totally easy to make from scratch but I almost always have a box in the cupboard for my lazier-than-lazy moments.

I still had a few fresh cherries left in the ‘fridge, so, armed with my trusty cherry-pitter, I went to work.

We swear that we don’t buy single-use gadgets and the like although the kitchen does seem to be full of them.  I bought this particular single-use gadget when I entered the San Leandro Cherry Festival Cherry Pie Contest in 2000.  I won 2nd Place!

So my good-luck cherry pitter has been living in a drawer ever since, coming out now and again to say hi…

I do love a good batch of fresh cherries.  And there really are so many different varieties that come to the market.  One of my favorites are Rainier Cherries from Washington.  The closer you are to them, the better they taste.

The cherries in the brownies were dark red cherries.

I added about 5 minutes to the box baking time to allow for the additional moisture.

They came out just fine…

And they cut much nicer once they cooled…