Fudgey Cheesecake Topped Brownies
December 19, 2011 in CHOCOLATE, DESSERT
Who doesn’t love a dense, moist, decadently dark, fudgey brownie? My tagline on my browniegirl blog says there is more to life than brownies….but not much! I think chocolate cures just about anything!
I do apologize for my long absence….but with the changeover to wordpress my log in details got messed up (my own fault I guess as I was changing email addresses in the background) but thanks to the devs and Caro I finally got it all sorted. By then, however, time was spinning out for me with schools closing (I take care of grandsons) and deadlines looming for work and baking. Today the last of the Christmas cake orders left and I am up to date with other deadlines so things are looking up! I have been ill the past week with a throat and chest infection so I have not seen my two bugs….have missed them terribly and look forward to spending some happy baking time with them tomorrow.
I don’t know who is out there anymore, who of my old readers are still able to follow this blog, as I noticed after the changeover to WordPress that all my subscribers had disappeared. I keep thinking that if only we had been told maybe there might have been a way to let them all know to come here and re-subscribe. The other thing of course that has gone are all my sidebar badges 
But I guess that, if this is a much better, bug-free blogging platform that is going to run smoothly, then it might be a small price to pay!
Seeing as we are new to this blogging platform, well give or take a couple of weeks, and as my blogging name is browniegirl (as opposed to the name of my blog Kitchen Diary) and I am known to all and sundry as browniegirl I thought I would share my namesake, my signature dish, with you all today. Yes, there is a reason that I am known as browniegirl……..and here it is!
- Brownie Layer:
- 125 grams Lurpak unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 150 grams 80% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 250 grams granulated white sugar
- Fresh Vanilla Bean – split and seeds scraped out with the tip of a sharp knife
- 2,5ml pure vanilla extract
- 2 Jumbo Free Range eggs – at room temperature
- 90 grams Cake (or all purpose) Flour
- 2.5ml Salt
- Cream Cheese Layer:
- 250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese at room temperature
- 50ml Fresh Cream
- 70 grams granulated white sugar
- 2,5ml pure vanilla extract
- 1 Jumbo Free Range egg – at room temperature
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and place the rack in the center of the oven.
- Melt a little regular butter then brush base and sides and line a 23 x 23 cm square baking pan with 2 sheets of baking paper across the bottom and up all four sides of the pan. The paper needs to come above the edges of the pan as you will use it to lift the baked brownies out of the pan. Brush the paper as well. Set aside.
- In a large glass bowl melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave – you can do this over simmering water but I prefer the micro method. It only takes one minute at about 40% power.
- Remove from microwave, stir well then stir in the sugar and vanilla extract and seeds.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition.
- Stir in the sifted flour and salt and beat, with the wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the bowl (about one minute).
- Remove ½ cup of the brownie batter and set aside. Pour the remainder of the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Then in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese & cream until smooth.
- Add the sugar, vanilla and egg and process until creamy and smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese filling over the brownie layer. Spoon small dollops of the reserved brownie batter evenly on top of the cream cheese filling.
- Then with a table knife or wooden skewer, swirl the two batters a bit (without mixing them together) to make a marbled effect.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown.
- Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool.
- Once cool refrigerate the brownies (still in the pan covered with foil or cling wrap) for at least 2 hours
- Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the paper and transfer to a cutting board.
- With a sharp hot dry knife, cut into 16 squares. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth handy to wipe your knife between cuts.
- These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Bring to room temperature before serving if you want the fudginess!
- Dust with icing sugar before serving.
- Delicious with a scoop of ice cream!
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