Cheesecake Brownies

Two of my favorite desserts come together to create a decadent super brownie! I love cheesecake, it has to be one of my favorite desserts ever! Brownies come in at a close second, so in my mind, this combination was created especially for me! 🙂 My husband was craving brownies the other day and since I have another brownie recipe on my blog (Blissful Brownies), I wanted to make a different kind of brownie. I had been holding onto this wonderful recipe for a few months and have been very excited to try them out. No better time than now, right? I didn’t tell him that I was planning on making them, I just surprised him when he came home from work yesterday. He said, “what is that amazing smell?” The delicious smell coming from the oven was almost too much to handle! I could hardly wait for them to cool in the pan! However, the wait was so worth it. Fudgy, dense brownies and creamy cheesecake mingle together to create the most perfect dessert ever created!

Cheesecake Brownies

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Brownies:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake Topping:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, well softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line the inside of an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil allowing excess to extend beyond the edges of the pan. Lightly grease foil with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
2. To make the brownies, in a medium saucepan heat butter and 4 ounces of chocolate over low heat, whisking occasionally, just until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Whisk in flour and chocolate chips until just combined and spread evenly in baking pan.
3. To make the cheesecake batter, in a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in 8 dollops over brownie batter. Swirl in with a knife or spatula.
5. Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the foil to remove the brownies.

Source: adapted from Gourmet Magazine, June 2007