Cheese Swirl Brownie

I decided to make some brownies as Valentine gifts for my friends who went to skiing with us @ Killington, VT. I thought it would be a nice treat for all to enjoy on Valentine’s Day. Plus, this is another reason for me to get creative!

Since I have a block of cream cheese, I wanted to incorporate that into the brownie. I googled for a recipe and found a recipe on MarthaStewart.com and decided to give it a try! The result was a very chocolaty and moist brownie with a consistency between cake and fudge! My friends commented that they were very good and definitely very chocolaty.

I sprinkled some extra chocolate chips on the top and baked the brownie in a 9 inch square pan. I cut them into 16 squares and packed them up in Chinese Take Out Boxes, adorned with craft paper, ribbon and a little tag. Don’t they look cute??

Here’s the recipe. Remember to use good quality chocolate!! I use Ghirardelli chocolate (the only brand I use!) in this recipe.

CHEESE SWIRL BROWNIE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 10 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
• 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 8 Oz Semisweet or Bittersweet Chocolate Morsels/Chips
• 4 Oz Cream Cheese, Softened @ Room Temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 4 Large Eggs

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside. In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Place 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter and chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar; mix to combine. Add 3 eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour and cocoa mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix).

Prepare cream-cheese mixture: Whisk bar cream cheese with 2 tablespoons room-temperature butter. Whisk in 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Alternately spoon chocolate batter and cream-cheese mixture into pan; with the tip of a paring knife, swirl to marble.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

June’s Comments: I lined my baking pan with aluminum foil. It worked like a charm too! I used a mixture of Ghirardelli bittersweet and semi sweet chocolate chips in the brownie. I also sprinkled the extra chocolate chip on top of the brownie prior to baking!