It's National Chocolate Chip Day!

Sure, you could enjoy some chocolate chip cookies — you can never, ever go wrong with them. Chocolate chip pancakes would make a lovely "breakfast for dinner," everyone's favorite. But since I had maraschino cherries on hand, as well as some leftover almond macaroons from Passover, it only made sense to make an extra special cake in honor of the occasion.

Rich, dense, moist, and delicious, this is a great celebration cake!

Cherry Coconut Chocolate Chip Brownie Cake

4 eggs
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup unbleached flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
8 almond macaroons, chopped
ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan.

In large mixing bowl, stir together eggs, sugar, oil, butter, and vanilla. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips, then spread batter into the prepared pan.

Top batter with cherries and macaroons; press in lightly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out nearly clean. Let cool completely before cutting.

Makes 9 generous servings. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Note: If you don't have any macaroons, sprinkle some coconut on top of the cake instead.

Mary Bilyeu writes for AnnArbor.com on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, telling about her adventures in the kitchen - making dinner, celebrating holidays, entering cooking contests, meeting new friends ... whatever strikes her fancy. She is also on a mission to find great deals for her Frugal Floozie Friday posts, seeking fabulous food at restaurants on the limited budget of only $5 per person. Feel free to email her with questions, comments, or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.

Go visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — where she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related; and look for her monthly articles in the Washtenaw Jewish News. "Like" her on Facebook, or send a tweet on Twitter, too.

The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers - when you come to visit here, may you always be happy.