Cream Cheese Brownies

These brownies offer a small taste of heaven. You have to follow the directions, otherwise they won't be so heavenly.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 16 slices of heaven

Ingredients

• Cream cheese layer

• 4  ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1  egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  tablespoon flour

• Brownie layer

• 5  tablespoons sweet butter
• 5  ounces  semisweet chocolate or 5  ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2  eggs, at room temperature
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄2-1  cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1⁄2 cup  coarsely chopped  nuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Lightly grease a square 8X8-inch pan.
3. To make the cream cheese layer, put the cream cheese in a mixer bowl and mix with the paddle attachment until it's smooth.
4. Add the rest of the cream cheese layer ingredients, beating well and scraping down and of the batter that dares try to escape up the sides of the bowl.
5. To make the brownie layer, melt the butter and the chocolate together until smoothly melted.
6. Put aside and let come to room temperature.
7. Be patient, it's worth it.
8. In a separate bowl from the cream cheese mixture, mix the eggs and the sugar until it's thick and a gorgeous lemon color.
9. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well until combined.
10. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
11. Add the flour, vanilla, baking powder, salt and the chocolate chips, mix well until combined.
12. Pour half the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan.
13. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over that.
14. Don't worry if it doesn't cover the chocolate. It won't.
15. Add the remaining chocolate mixture.
16. Take a knife and gently draw it through the batters, from left to right and from top to bottom, making a checkerboard pattern.
17. Don't allow the mixtures to combine, be careful.
18. Sprinkle with the nuts.
19. Bake in the oven until the sides, but not the tops, begin to brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
20. Don't wait until a tester comes out clean, if you do then you have overbaked and basically murdered the brownies.
21. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes, cut into 12 or 16 brownies, cover and refrigerate.