I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again: my 2 favourite foods are pizza and brownies. There, I said it….and I’m not even ashamed-ish.
So, when I found a 224-page(!) book by Bev Shaffer called Brownies to die for I was like a little kid in a candy store. I could not wait to get home and read all of the renditions on one of my favourite treats. Who would have thought there could be so many versions? It made me realize that my love for brownies calls for the need to have a category all on its own.
Ingredients:
Base
- 3 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Topping
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons of raspberry jam or preserves
Directions
Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a 9″ square pan.
For the Brownie Base:
- Melt the chocolates and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth and melted. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in eggs, sugar and vanilla.
- Then, slowly add flour, baking powder and salt until mixture is combined.
- Reserve approx. 1 cup of the brownie base and spread the remaining brownie base into the greased pan.
For the Cheesecake Base:
- Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Beat in sugar, egg, vanilla on medium speed until well combined.
- Spread over the Brownie Base, then drop tablespoons of remaining Brownie Base on Cheesecake Base.
- Drop raspberry jam (using a small spoon) in the spaces where there is no brownie base.
- Swirl gently to create a marble pater.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Cool for a full hour for easy cutting.
