Cheesecake Brownies

These are an old favorite of ours.  I made them for Valentine treats.  I always wish there were more middle pieces but it's impossible.  I really don't understand those "all edges" brownie pans.  Maybe I'm completely different but I would much rather have a nice middle than a crusty outside edge.   With the cheesecake layer it tends to run to the middle as the edges bake up so you get more in the middle and less on the edge, at least with my recipe

The beauty of these is that most brownie recipes will work for the base.  I'm not sure which ones wouldn't but I'm not sure they all would either.  I have used a few different recipes including a box mix and had it work out great always.  This time I used an old standby with extra cocoa.  I almost prefer them the next day but they are good right out of the oven too.  Something about letting them just settle and meld I guess, although make sure you cover them so the edges don't dry hard.   They are nice if you like to slightly marble the layers together and look good that way too.   The one thing I should have done is double my cheesecake part because the brownie recipe I made is for a larger pan thus the cheesecake layer was smaller.

I am warning you, this recipe is not correctly paired up.  The cheesecake part is for a 9 in pan and the brownies fit in a 9x13.  I just settle for the thinner layer of cheesecake but you can use a smaller brownie recipe.  These brownies are on page 2 of my most used recipes.  That tells you their importance in my life.  They are in the middle of cakey and fudgy.  They are of course great all on their own.  They are followed only by my fudge brownies with ganache and BYU mint brownies in my brownie repretoire.  The cheesecake layer only makes them better. 

Brownie layer

3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients and beat until smooth.  Add eggs, sugar and vanilla and mix well.  combine flour and salt and mix into batter until incorporated, do not over mix.

Cheesecake layer

1 8oz pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbl. butter, softened
2 eggs
2 Tbl. milk
1 Tbl. flour
1/2 tsp. almond extract


Combine cream cheese, sugar and butter until creamy.  Add eggs, milk, flour and almond extract, beat well.

Preheat oven to 350º.  Spread brownie mixture in 9x13 in. pan.  Pour cheesecake mixture over the top.  Bake for about 40-45 min. 


Edit:  I linked up with Lisa at http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/02/sweets-for-saturday-5.html this week.