Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

These are the most dense, fudgy brownies I have ever made. Topped with a marbling of cheesecake and brownie, each bite is the perfect mix of flavors.

Adapted from Here

Ingredients:
Brownie Layer:
1/2 Cup butter, chopped into pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp salt

Cheesecake layer:
8 ounces cream cheese (full fat), at room temperature
1/3 C sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Line an 9 x 9 square baking pan with aluminum foil. Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave, pausing to stir every 30 seconds until completely smooth. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Stir in the flour and salt until the entire mixture is smooth and glossy (the secret to a dense brownie is to not over-mix so do this by hand, not with an electric mixer). Set aside 1/2 a cup of the brownie mixture. Pour/press the rest of the brownie mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.

In your electric mixer, begin the cheesecake layer. Whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and beat until just smooth (don't over mix). Spread the cream cheese mixture over the brownie layer. Then add the reserved 1/2 cup of brownie mix, one dollop at a time to the top. Run a knife or wooden skewer through the batter to create a marble look.

Bake for about 30 minutes. The brownies should be set, the cheesecake should just be starting to brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs.

Let cool on a wire rack and then in the fridge until the brownies are set enough to cut into squares. You can store these in the fridge for several days. I enjoy eating mine cold with a large glass of milk!