Cream Cheese Brownies

I love brownies, I love cheesecake- and I love them even more together. Enjoy!

Brownie Base
2/3 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
8 Tbsp. butter cut into quarters
1 C. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Cream Cheese filling
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch baking pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water- melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and sugar. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated.

For the cream cheese filling: beat the ingredients together in a small bowl until evenly blended.

Pour half the batter in the pan, drop half the cream cheese mixture, by spoonfuls, over the batter. Repeat, layering the remaining batter and cream cheese filling. Use the blade of a knife to gently swirl the brownie batter and cream cheese for a marbling effect.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the brownies have puffed slightly and a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs. Cool on a wire rack and in the refrigerator until chilled (probably about hours).

Courtesy of "The New Best Recipe"/Cooks Illustrated
photo: We had nine dinner guests last night and the brownies were gone well before I thought to take a picture. So I have borrowed one: dinneranddessert.wordpress.com