Bake This Now: Cream Cheese Brownies
Master pâtissier to the stars, TV host and all-around baking guru Eric Lanlard has a new cookbook that will have you running to bust your stand mixer out of its cupboard prison. From the classic to the wildly inventive (and every pastry in between), Lanlard's sweet creations rise to the top of our "to bake" list. Don't let bagels hog all the cream cheese.
This takes the best of a rich, traditional brownie and gives it a twist: The soft cream cheese adds a soft touch as well as a fresh sour-zesty taste.
Bake This Now: Cream Cheese Brownies
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
30
minutes
Servings
12
brownies
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound plus 2 tablepsoons unsalted butter
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 6 tablespoons freshly made strong espresso
- Generous 1 cup superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cream cheese
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an eight-inch square pan with extra butter, and line it with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter and the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally (the bowl should not touch the water). Remove the bowl from the heat and cool slightly.
- Stir the sugar, vanilla and salt into the butter-chocolate mixture, then whisk in the eggs, using a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer, and beat until smooth. Stir in the coffee, then sift in the flour and carry on beating until glossy. Set aside.
- For the marbling mixture, in a bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth, then stir in the sugar, egg and vanilla.
- Spoon the first, dark mixture into the prepared pan, then add the cheese marbling mixture and use a knife to cut through to create a marbled effect. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. You may need to cover the pan with foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Allow to cool in the pan, then cut into squares.