BLACK & WHITE CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

OK, hear me out. By the time this post is done, I expect you all to have your ingredients out, measured, prepared, and ready to go. This recipe is a true winner. Brownies. Cheesecakes. More brownies. Something I'd like to call brownie bliss...

It's unfair how good these are. They should be deemed illegal in all 50 states. The bottom brownie layer is soft and gooey followed by a sufficient but not overwhelming thin creamy cheesecake layer. Crumbles of brownie dough are then added to the top while the edges are crisp and cookie-like. It's a combination of chocolate cookies, chocolate brownies, and cheesecake all in one delicious bar.

The one, and I mean only one drawback is that this recipe requires some legwork and time, which I was unaware of before I started. You see, I went to dinner with a friend last night and needed some time to digest before I went for a run. Baking is the best time-killer. So, I set out to make these brownies thinking I'd whip up the batter in no time and have them baked within the hour and have them cool while I'm at the gym. I skipped a few steps to see the baking time which said "25-30 minutes" so I assumed this would be a quickie! Well, the few paragraphs that I skipped detailed a few processes that required time. There's Refrigeration. Baking. Cooling. Baking again. That kinda thing...

All in all, I don't care that I ended up at the gym at 9pm because these brownies were well worth it and after ingesting so many of them the gym was clearly needed! Make these. Enjoy!

Black & White Cheesecake Brownies-From Martha Stewart

Makes 24

Vegetable oil cooking spray

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (this is a ton of butter, I cut back to 2 sticks)

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

21/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides, then spray parchment.
2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Increase speed to medium; beat until incorporated.
3. Reserve 1 cup of dough; cover, and refrigerate. Press remaining dough into bottom of prepared dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until base is set and edges are puffed, about 25 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.
4. Mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base; crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang. Cut into 24 squares. Squares will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.