Cream Cheese Brownies

Cream Cheese Brownies: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 inch (23 cm) square baking pan that has been lined with foil or parchment paper. Butter the foil or parchment paper.

In a heatproof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir or whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and stir vigorously until the batter is smooth and glossy (about one minute). Remove 1/2 cup (120 ml/grams) of the brownie batter and set it aside. Spread the remainder of the brownie batter evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

Then, in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and process just until creamy and smooth (do not over process or it will be too runny). Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the brownie layer.

Then spoon 16 small dollops (4 rows with 4 dollops of brownie batter in each row) of the reserved brownie batter evenly on top of the cream cheese filling. Run a knife or wooden skewer back and forth through the two batters until you have a marble effect.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the brownies are set and the cream cheese is just beginning to brown around the edges. (A toothpick inserted into the brownie comes out with just a few moist crumbs.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Then cover and refrigerate the brownies until they are firm enough to cut into squares (several hours). Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth nearby to wipe your knife between cuts. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. They can also be frozen for about one month. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Makes about 16 - 2 inch (5 cm) brownies.

There are so many types of brownies, but one of my favorites is these Cream Cheese Brownies which combine a dense and fudge-like brownie with a cream cheese topping. Bite into one and you are sure to notice how the tanginess of the cream cheese so nicely tempers the deep richness of the chocolate brownie. What a perfect way to enjoy both a brownie and cheesecake at the same time.

This brownie batter is easily made as you just mix the ingredients together by hand in one bowl. Once the brownie batter is in the pan (we do put a little of the brownie batter aside for later) we top it with a cheesecake filling. The main component in the cheesecake filling is cream cheese, which is a white, soft and spreadable cheese with a slightly tangy flavor. It has a 33% butterfat content so its texture is wonderfully smooth and creamy. The cream cheese should be full fat and at room temperature before it is beaten (in the food processor or with a hand mixer) so it will be nice and smooth with no lumps. Then we add a little sugar, an egg, and some vanilla extract for texture and flavor. Gently spread the filling over the brownie layer. Lastly, place small dollops of that remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese filling and then run a knife or wooden skewer through it all to give a nice marbleized effect.

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