Espresso Cheesecake Brownies Food

MOCHA CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Or melt in a medium microwave safe bowl in 20 second increments, stirring after each, in the microwave. Remove from the heat, pour into a large mixing bowl, and allow to slightly cool for 10 minutes.
• Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides to easily lift the brownies out of the pan when cool. Set aside.
• Whisk the granulated sugar into the cooled chocolate/butter mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Reduce to medium-high speed and beat in the sugar until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined. Finally, fold in the white chocolate chips with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Set aside.
• Spread about half of the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. The batter is thick, so do your best to spread it to every corner making 1 even layer. Top with all of the cheesecake batter. Spread this in a thick, even layer. Layer on the rest of the thick brownie batter, spreading as best you can. If some cheesecake swirls out on top or if you can't quite cover the corners with brownie batter, that's OK! Sprinkle the optional chocolate chips on top.
• Bake for 35-38 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with only a few moist crumbs when the brownies are done. All ovens are different, so keep an eye on them after 30 minutes and use the toothpick test to see when yours are finished.
• Allow the brownies to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. The cheesecake layer must be cold before cutting into squares.
• Once chilled, lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares. For neat squares, I use a very sharp knife and wipe it clean with a paper towel after each cut.

DECADENT MOCHA CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a square 9-inch baking pan with foil. Grease foil with cooking spray.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth and light. Add egg; beat until smooth. Set cheesecake layer aside.
• Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cocoa powder and coffee granules.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together onto a large piece of waxed paper. Add all at once to the chocolate mixture; stir until blended. Add vanilla extract. Set 1/3 cup of batter aside in a small bowl; stir in milk. Fold chocolate chips and almonds into the remaining batter.
• Pour larger portion of batter into the prepared pan. Carefully spread cream cheese mixture on top. Drop teaspoonfuls of reserved batter over the cream cheese layer. Run a clean knife through the batter and cheesecake to create swirls.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheesecake is set and a toothpick inserted halfway to the center of the pan comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

ESPRESSO BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk 1/3 cup of water, oil, eggs, and 2 tablespoons espresso powder in a large bowl to blend. Add the brownie mix. Stir until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, dissolve the remaining 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar and butter and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the brownies. Refrigerate until the glaze is set. Cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange the brownies on a platter and serve.

ESPRESSO CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan or spray the pan with baking spray.
• To make the brownies: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside. Melt the butter and chocolate together over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan, stirring with a rubber spatula until the two have melted into each other. Take care not to heat the mixture too much - you don't want the butter to separate. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove.
• Whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla extract and whisk vigorously for just a few seconds. With a rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan. Stop mixing when the dry ingredients have only barely disappeared into the batter. Set the pan aside while you make the cheesecake batter.
• To make the cheesecake: Stir the espresso powder into the hot water until it has dissolved; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer and large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium until it is smooth. Beat in the sugar and continue beating for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and espresso-water mixture; scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat each for 1 minute before adding the next and moving to the next step, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. Reduce the mixer to low, stir in the sour cream and then the flour. The batter should be smooth.
• Stir up the brownie batter a couple of times and spread ¾ of the batter out in the bottom the prepared baking pan - the batter should cover the entire bottom. Pour all of the cheesecake batter over the brownie batter and using a spoon or offset spatula, cover the brownie batter entirely. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the cheesecake batter by the tablespoonful and using a knife, just barely swirl the brownie batter around, taking care not to dip the knife into the bottom layer of brownies.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The brownies should just pull away from the sides of the pan and be slightly browned on the edges and puffed all over. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Transfer the brownies to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours.
• To make the sour cream topping: In a small sauce pan over low heat, warm the sour cream and sugar together, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the topping over the chilled brownies and using an offset spatula, push the topping just out to within ¼-inch of the edges - don't let the topping spill down the sides. Chill the brownies for another 1 hour.
• To cut the brownies, run a long sharp knife under hot water and dry with a towel. Cut the brownies into quarters with the hot knife, cleaning and reheating before you make each cut. Remove the quarters from the pan and cut each into quarters. Keep the cut brownies chilled and bring to room temperature before serving.