Sinful Cheesecake Brownies

minnie chef's Note:

This is my favorite brownie recipe, period. Super-chocolatey brownie swirled with twice the cream cheese of other marbled brownies. Chocolate chips are optional, but give the brownie more texture. I use the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate bar and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. From David Lebovitz (check his website for more fantastic recipes!)

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 9

Yield: 9.0 large b ...

for brownie

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

for cheesecake

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line a 9-inch (23cm) square pan with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Mist with non-stick spray or grease lightly.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C).
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, then the eggs.
4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
5. In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons (75g) of sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
6. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a dull knife or spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.
7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the batter in the center of the pan feels just set.
8. Let cool, then lift out the foil and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares.
9. Storage: These will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze well, too.

Reviews

[MidsummerNightSprite]

This recipe was easy to throw together and delicious! I had modified the size of the brownie recipe to 12 servings thinking to use a 9x13 pan, but ended up still using a 8x8. I'm glad I did, the suggested amount of batter would have made too thin of a brownie for my liking! The adjusted 12 serving recipe called for 2 2/3 eggs so I used 2 whole and a white with the yolk leftover for the cheesecake (which I left unadjusted). This was just what I was craving and a huge hit at the picnic I took them to!

[Dying2Live]

Delicious brownies! Very sinful. Next time I will have the cream cheese mixture ready before the brownie mixture as my brownie mixture got thick very fast as it cooled while i was mixing up the cheesecake. This made it almost impossible to swirl the 2 together. I will definatly make these again!