Christmas Cookies, Part IV

So. Delicious.

Picture everything you love about cheesecake. Now picture everything you love about gooey, fudgy brownies. Now put them together in one bar. I think in this case the whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts.

This is the original recipe. I one-and-a-halfed the brownie base and left the cheesecake as it was, then baked it in a 9x13. Oh, and I left out the chocolate chips. Turned out great.

Cheesecake-Swirled Brownies
Brownie batter
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Cheesecake batter
8 ounces cream cheese, well softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Plus
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Make brownie batter: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Heat butter and chocolate by placing the mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water, whisking occasionally, just until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Whisk in flour until just combined and spread in baking pan.

Make cheesecake batter: Whisk together cheesecake batter ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl in with a knife or spatula. (I found this harder than it sounds. I guess I'll have to practice some more to get a really lovely marbled effect)

Sprinkle chocolate chips over cheesecake/brownie batter swirl.

Bake brownies: Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Slicing tip: chill brownies until they’re almost frozen before cutting them. It makes it much easier to get a clean slice. I store mine in the freezer because I like my brownies icy cold when they're not hot and gooey.