Pretzel Crust Cheesecake Brownies Food

PRETZEL CRUST CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix together crushed pretzels, sugar and melted butter in a bowl until combined.
• Press firmly into a 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 6 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees.
• Brownie: Mix sugar and butter until thoroughly combined. Add water, eggs and vanilla.
• Sift together flour and cocoa powder. Slowly add to wet ingredients until just combined.
• Cheesecake: Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs.
• Carefully spread half of brownie mixture evenly over pretzel crust.
• Pour cheesecake on top of brownie mixture.
• Spread remaining half of the brownie mixture over cheesecake layer.
• Cook 35-40 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

PRETZEL CRUSTED PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Steps:

• First, prepare the pretzel crust. Preheat the oven to 350 and liberally grease the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish with softened butter or shortening. Put the pretzels in the bowl of a food processor and run it until they become a fine crumb. Combine the pretzel crumbs with the butter, dark brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Stir them together thoroughly until it resembles wet sand. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it down firmly into an even bottom crust. Bake it for 15 minutes to set, then take it out and let it cool.
• While the crust bakes and cools, prepare the brownie batter first. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together in a bowl to aerate them. Set it aside. Get a small pot filled halfway with water on the stove and heat it to a gentle boil. Set a heat proof bowl over the pot and combine the butter and chocolate in it to melt them. Stir them together with a heat proof rubber spatula until it is a smooth and shiny ganache. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk the sugar in to dissolve it. Then whisk in the vanilla and eggs. Lastly, fold in the dry ingredients just until they disappear. Set the brownie batter aside.
• Next, prepare the pumpkin cheesecake batter. Combine the cream cheese and pumpkin puree a bowl and beat them together with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice next and let them get mixed in. Then add the bourbon, vanilla, and each egg one at a time. Once they are thoroughly mixed in, add the flour last just until it disappears. Set the cheesecake batter aside.
• Take the baking dish with the cooled crust and liberally grease the sides. Spread the brownie batter on top of the crust, leaving about 1/4 cup behind for swirling on top. Smooth it out with an offset spatula. Pour the cheesecake batter over the brownie batter and make sure it is even. Spoon the remaining brownie batter in with the cheesecake batter and use a butter knife to gently swirl it together.
• Bake the cheesecake brownies for about 50 minutes, until set and completely baked through. The cheesecake should be fairly brown around the edges. Let it cool, then cover it and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Then cut the brownies into 16 equal squares by quartering the pan, then cutting each quarter into quarters. Serve immediately and enjoy!

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE WITH PRETZEL CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• For the crust: Combine the pretzels, graham crackers, sugar, a pinch of salt and the melted butter in a large bowl. Press the crust into the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch clear glass baking dish. Set aside while you make the filling.
• For the filling: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened cream cheese on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the beater often, until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sour cream and sugar and continue to mix until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer speed on low, add the eggs one at a time, thoroughly mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Pour the filling over the crust and bake until the center is no longer jiggly, about 1 hour. Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, melt the strawberry preserves in a small saucepot over low heat. If you prefer no seeds, use a fine mesh sieve to strain it into another bowl. Pour the melted preserves over top of the cheesecake and smooth it out into an even layer. Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, then slice into 24 squares while still warm. Refrigerate until chilled completely, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.