Fudgy Cherry-Cheesecake Brownie Bars

*Parsley*'s Note:

These are a favorite everytime I take them somewhere.....they are always the first to disappear. I usually cut them into squares and put them in individual cupcake papers to make serving easier. They are easy to make, too. Prep/cook time does NOT include 4 hours for chilling.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 24

Topping

• 2 (8 ounce) packages low-fat cream cheese or 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownie

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Line a 13 x 9" baking pan with foil, letting ends extend a bit over sides. Lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Topping: Beat together all topping ingredients in medium mixing bowl until blended and smooth. Set aside.
4. Brownie: In a large microwavable mixing bowl, melt butter and chocolate using med power -- about 2 minutes---check every 45 seconds and stir. (Can also do in a saucepan over low heat.) Heat until chocolate is melted and smooth -- stir to make a smooth mixture.
5. With wooden spoon, stir in sugar, vanilla and salt into melted chocolate mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring briskly after each egg, until well-blended. Stir in flour.
6. Spoon brownie mixture into prepared baking pan.
7. Scatter heaping Tbsp of topping mixture on top of brownie mixture. Next, scatter Tbsps of cherry pir filling over top. Run tip of a knife through topping and pie filling to create a marbelized look.
8. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until brownie edges begin to pull away from sides and edges of cream cheese are slightly brown. THE CENTER WILL STILL "JIGGLE" WHEN SHAKEN EVEN WHEN THEY ARE DONE!
9. Cool in pan on wire rack. When cooled, chill for at least 4 hours before cutting.
10. After chilling, simply lift out by using the foil that lines the pan. Place on cutting board and cut into squares, and place into individual cupcake/muffin liners.

Reviews

[Chef shapeweaver ©]

I made these on 1/22/10 for the " Comfort Cafe Winter Edition 2010 ". I cheated by using a boxed mix for a 9 x 13 inch pan. ( *Parsley*, remember you told me I could ;) ) I followed the part for the cherries and topping to the letter. The bake time was right on the money.And the part about the recipe " jiggling ", was spot on too. I wish that they had been a bit more on the sweet side, that way I wouldn't have been so tempted to eat more than I should have. :) I will make this again.Thank you so much for posting such a wonderful recipe. " Keep Smiling :) "

[Fireflylover]

Parsley, hugs to you my friend!! I won a brownie bake off today at work with your recipe. I made the recipe just as you had stated...except I didn't use a wooden spoon when called for. It didn't even jiggle. I was worried about that and had gone easy with the cream cheese/cherry mixture in the center and stirred up a bit more of the brownie part to the top which hardens like "lava rock" when it is cooled. For the amount of sugar that I put in, I was surprised that many thought that it wasn't too sweet like the other entries. Oh....if they only knew. I did keep the portions small and had put samples in very pretty cupcake liners and put it on a pedestal cake plate, so that they would sit up "above the rest"!!! And they did!! Thank you so much. I will probably be making this recipe forever. You will get full credit too!!! Edited to add: As stated in another review, a pizza cutter make quick cutting of the final product.

[Kristine at Food.com]

These tasted really great but I had a problem with the brownie cooking fully in the center. The edges of the pan cooked up nicely but I had some runny brownie dough under my cream cheese topping in parts. Next time I might cook the brownies for a bit in the pan, then take out of the oven and add the topping and cook some more to get a more even result. That said, all gobbled up by the folks at work (and I said they were extra "fudgy" to explain the runny texture). Tx!