We always make brownies as they are. Have you ever thought of combining them with something else like cream cheese or Nutella or peanut butter? Well, since I still have a big block of cream cheese left from previous bakings, I decided to add it to my fudgy brownie. I was sure that they are going to be delicious. I love cheese and I love chocolate. So what better combination that this would be.
Ingredients:
Brownies:
- 450 g dark chocolate (either bar or coins)
- 150 g salted butter (if using unsalted butter, then add 1/4 tsp salt)
- 100 g brown sugar
- 3 grade A eggs
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 20 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla essence, optional
Cream Cheese Topping:
- 225 g cream cheese
- 40 g castor sugar
- 1 grade A egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence, optional
Method:
- Take out your cream cheese from the refrigerator, weigh the required amount and let the latter soften and come to room temperature.
- Prepare a 7 inch x 7 inch pan (preferably with a removable base for easier removable of the brownie) - grease and line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.
- Add dark chocolate, salted butter and brown sugar to a bowl.
- Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water (bain marie) to melt the chocolate, butter and sugar.
- Remove the bowl from the pot of boiling water once these have melted.
- Set the bowl aside to let the chocolate mixture cool down.
- Meanwhile, add softened cream cheese to a bowl.
- Add castor sugar to the cream cheese and mix by hand with a spatula till the sugar has melted and the cream cheese is smooth.
- Break the egg into a small bowl. Slightly beat it.
- Add the beaten egg to the cream cheese mixture. Mix till they are well incorporated.
- Add vanilla essence (optional) and mix to incorporate it into the cream cheese mixture.
- Set the cream cheese mixture aside.
- Once the chocolate mixture has cooled down slightly (not necessary totally), beat the eggs slightly and add them to it. Mix till the eggs are incorporated.
- Sieve the flour, cocoa powder and instant coffee.
- Add them to the chocolate mixture in thirds, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla essence (optional) and mix.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan.
- Scoop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture and place them randomly on top of the chocolate mixture.
- Use a chopstick or thin wooden skewer to swirl the cream cheese mixture to form patterns as creatively as possible.
- Bake the batter for 25-30 minutes or till it is cooked. (Test doneness by poking a wooden skewer into the brownie. It should come out clean.)
- Remove the brownie from the pan and let it cool down completely on a metal rack.
- Once it has cooled down, keep the brownie in the refrigerator before serving.