The Brownie Mix Add-Ins For Cherry Cordial-Flavored Treats

Dessert lovers near and far are always up for a handy shortcut when making a sweet treat, especially if the faster, more straightforward method produces equally delicious results. If you're in the mood for a chewy, chocolate indulgence, you can always follow your grandmother's longtime brownie recipe, but there are also occasions when prepared brownie mixes serve their purpose.

While the first chocolate-based brownie recipe can be traced back to the early 1900s, brownie mixes in America didn't start becoming a mainstream product until the end of World War II, when convenient food products were advertised more and more to American families. Pillsbury and General Mills relied heavily on advertising campaigns to showcase how boxed cake and brownie mixes not only saved precious time but were also reliable in producing satisfactory desserts.

Jumping back to present-day America, just one simple search for "brownie mix" on Amazon produces over a dozen results. Homemade brownies are always a welcomed treat yet if you're attempting to capture a specific flavor profile, but using a boxed mix and focusing on the extras ingredients might save you some time and frustration. Apart from the classic additions of mint or peanut butter, what ingredients do you need to add to boxed brownie mix to achieve a chocolate-covered cherry flavor?

If you're in the mood for a chocolate cherry treat, you can always make chocolate cherry macaroons or even chocolate cherry fudge. But if you're looking to save time, there's a more convenient way to achieve that signature flavor. While cordials and chocolate-covered cherries originally served separate purposes in Europe, the idea of creating a slight liquor-filled cherry confection emerged in America and started to gain traction in the late 1800s. As these indulgent treats began to be made with rich sugar syrup instead of alcohol, businesses like Cella's and Queen Anne's began to sell cherry cordials in bright red boxes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

If you find yourself wishing to create that one-of-a-kind flavor with the boxed brownie mix sitting in your pantry, you're in luck. Anna Francese Gass, the author of "Heirloom Kitchen," shared with Food & Wine that she adds a sprinkle of maraschino cherries and a few swirls of cream cheese to achieve that iconic chocolate-covered cherry flavor. If you want a more precise recipe, you can use Kara Creates' cherry brownie recipe topping on your boxed brownies, which includes a maraschino cherry buttercream and a thin layer of chocolate ganache. 

And because packaged brownie mix is so versatile, you don't need to stick to cherries. There are countless other additions you can use to elevate your next pan of chewy chocolate squares.

Among all of the delicious ingredients you should be adding to your brownies, choosing your favorite flavors is a great place to start. With the versatility and convenience of easy-to-assemble brownies, you can focus more on the extras and tap into your creative culinary side. Before simply throwing a few extras on top of uncooked brownie batter, Sugary Logic suggests small ways to improve the general flavor and texture of a prepackaged brownie mix such as using coffee in place of water and butter instead of oil.

Once you've swapped out any basics, the sky is the limit when it comes to creating an epic signature treat. Besides adding mixed fruit or nut butter to your brownie batter, creative additions such as marshmallows, salty pretzels, and the occasional hint of your favorite liquor will give brownies a more complex flavor.

Keeping a box or two of brownie mix in your pantry is not only useful to make brownies, but you can use the mix to craft completely different confections like ice cream sandwiches or brownie-based cookies. For elevated brownies, however, all you need is an extra ingredient or two to achieve a favorite signature flavor.