Cream Cheese Brownie

I am in a mood to tell a story. I don't know whether many of you are aware that I have three elder sisters and I am the youngest in the family. Yes, we are a bunch of girls and the population is increasing in number with me having five nieces and one nephew. So when all of us are there at home, lot of noice and cacophony will be there. I have a way to bribe kids to make them behave well. When I go home during holidays I carry a bunch of chocolates with me. I will tell the kids whoever behaves well will get chocolate, others won't even get a bite of it. All my sweety pies religiously followed it. When I am out of stock I will ask dad for help. 

We are visiting 'A' cousin this weekend. They have three adorable kids. I have only seen their snaps. What best idea than making a chocalate-y treat for them.  So I rolled down my sleeves and started preparing these dense fudge textured brownies. There are many types of brownies, but I am introducing you to a perfect combination - A chocolate brownie with a layer of cream cheese. The tanginess of cream cheese and richness of chocolate makes it perfect. I have bookmarked this recipe long back. Finally got a chance to prepare this. Let's see whether I will be able to get the kids to my side !!!

Recipe Source : joyofbaking.com

Ingredients:

Brownie Layer:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 ounces (115 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Layer:

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 9 inch  square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom. 

In a stainless steel (heatproof) bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and beat, with a wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan (about one minute). Remove 1/2 cup of the brownie batter and set it aside. Place the remainder of the brownie batter evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

Then, in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and process just until creamy and smooth. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly 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 without mixing them.

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 on a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate the brownies until they are firm enough to cut into squares (at least two hours). Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth nearby to wipe your knife between cuts. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

P.S I used a  round baking pan. A square baking pan will be ideal for cutting the brownies into pieces.

I am sending this to Divya's event http://divyascookbook.blogspot.com/2011/03/dulce-de-leche-browniesto-celebrate-3rd.html