Cheesecake-Swirled Brownies
by Wendy VanHatten
Makes 16 2-inch square, thick brownies
Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
Brownie batter
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Heat butter and chocolate just until melted. Whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Whisk in flour until just combined and spread in baking pan.
Cheesecake batter
8 ounces cream cheese, well softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whisk together cheesecake batter ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl in with a knife or spatula.
Plus
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Sprinkle chocolate chips over cheesecake/brownie batter swirl.
Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Easy, yet so good. These can be cut into small bite-size pieces for a special treat. If you need to take them to an outdoor cookout, you can refrigerate them.
Photo Source: Flickr used with Creative Commons Attribution
