Marble cream cheese brownies

[MGLloyd]

Marble cream cheese brownies

Cheesecake brownies

1/2 CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE (1 STICK) (softened)

4 SQUARES (4 OUNCES) UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE

4 SQUARES (4 OUNCES) SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE (I prefer 70% cocoa mass)

2 CUPS SUGAR

5 LARGE EGGS (room temperature)

2 1/2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT

1 1/4 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR (dip and sweep)

3/4 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER

1/2 TEASPOON SALT

2 PACKAGES (8 OUNCES EACH) CREAM CHEESE (softened)

1. Preheat oven to 350' F. Grease 13" by 9" metal baking pan.

2. In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter and unsweetened and semisweet chocolates over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat. Beat in 1 and 1/2 cups sugar. Add 4 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until well blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in remaining egg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla just until blended.

4. Spread 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate batter in prepared pan. Spoon cream-cheese batter in 6 large dollops on top of chocolate mixture (cream-cheese mixture will cover much of chocolate batter). Spoon remaining chocolate batter in 6 large dollops over and between cream-cheese mixture. With tip of knife, cut and twist through mixtures to create marble design.

5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out almost clean with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

6. When cool, cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Makes 24 brownies.

This is one of my favorite recipes for two reasons: it is not too sweet and the proportions of cheesecake to brownie is about 50/50. I wrap individual brownies in plastic wrap, and freeze them inside of a freezer Ziploc. They freeze very well.

PS: I forgot to mention. A couple of popular variations I have done is to omit the vanilla extract from the cheesecake batter and substitute either 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or orange oil or orange extract. I especially liked the orange myself, since I am a sucker for the combination of orange and chocolate. Using orange oil rather than extract gives it a more pronounced orange flavor, in my view. A friend of mine also reported good results by using some Amaretto in the brownie batter.

( RG1761 )