Cheesecake Brownies
I don’t even know where to begin on this one. Seriously, just look at these brownies, would you?
If you can’t tell that they are indeed the perfect amount of fudgey paired up with the right amount of creamy cheesecakey goodness, please take my word for it. These babies are heavenly — and well, devilish, too, because you simply cannot, despite their richness, eat just one.
At least I can’t.
So yes –oui! — I finally got David Lebovitz’s new cookbook, “Ready for Dessert,” in the mail, after four loooong weeks of waiting. A collection of David’s greatest hits, from his years as a pastry chef at Chez Panisse in San Francisco to recipes that he’s developed while living here, it is, at first glance, as wonderful as I’d imagined that it would be. I loved David’s hilarious memoir, “The Sweet Life in Paris,” and giggled along as he recounted the line-cutting Parisians at the grocery store, the never-ending les greves, and the 5-story (or is it more?) hell known only to Parisians as “BHV.” His book on frozen desserts, “The Perfect Scoop;” and for chocoholics, “The Great Book of Chocolate;” are also dog-earred and occupy prime real estate on my bookshelves.
I’ve said this before, yet it bears repeating, because at this point, I’ve got little room for anything, much less more cookbooks, so I choose them with care. I must love them and I must use them. David’s books fall into this category because his recipes are trustworthy and they’re delicious. The copy’s tight and tidy with fabulous tips in sidebars, and written in a way that makes baking — whether it’s a batch of his chocolate chip cookies, French-inspired tarts or basic pastry cream — sound not only easy, but fun.
Which is the point, I think.
Let’s face it, baking can be intimidating. But if you start with good, solid recipes, then you’re more than halfway home.
I made these Cheesecake Brownies out of David’s new book because I happened to have two containers of “Philadelphia” in my fridge, which X bought at The English Shop up the street the other day, along with my weekly supply of Diet Dr Peppers. X doesn’t realize that making a cheesecake takes about 10 of these babies, and at 3.40 euros each, I wasn’t about to buy any more. So I told him that I was going to make cheesecake brownies instead of cheesecake with his Philly cream cheese, to which he just sighed rather disappointingly.
He didn’t understand, clearly, what magic was about to happen in that unpredictable little Barbie-size oven of mine.
When the brownies were done (just 25 minutes, by the way, because the stove kicked the temperature up towards the end, which it likes to do to throw me off), this time, I was the one who sighed. Beautiful.
Could I wait until they were completely cool to cut and eat them, as David suggests?
Of course not.
I waited a very loooong 20 minutes, and then, could wait no more. I cut. I tasted. I ate one, and then another, too, just to make sure. Then I gave one to X, who did that thing that French people do when they’re really excited –they shake one hand in a broken-wrist fashion, sort of up near the shoulder area (yes, I realize how this sounds, and you’re right) and said, “Ouh la LA!”
After the theatrics died down, and X finished the first one, he ate another.
Then I put the rest away (David says that these freeze really well) while he wasn’t looking.
X really hates beets.
Cheesecake Brownies
Adapted from “Ready for Dessert” by David Lebovitz
Makes 9 or 12 brownies
6 tablespoons (3 oz/85 grams) unsalted butter
4 oz (115 grams) bittersweet chocolate*
⅔ cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (8 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (80 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips
8 oz (225 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 tablespoons (75 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C
1. Line a 9-inch square pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving about 4 inches to hang over the sides so you can pull the brownies out easily later. Lightly grease the foil with butter.
2. Over a double-boiler, melt the butter and the 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate. Remove from heat, and stir in the 2/3 cup of sugar, then the 2 eggs.
3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and add to the chocolate mixture. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and chocolate chips and spread into the prepared pan.
4. Make the cheesecake topping. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, egg yolk, 5 tablespoons of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth, about a minute or so. With a large spoon, dollop the cheesecake mixture on top of the brownies. Then, with a clean knife, make one cut through the cheesecake/brownie batter, to make a pretty swirl.
Bake until the brownies begin to firm up in the center, 25-35 minutes. Be sure and watch them carefully towards the end. You don’t want an overcooked brownie. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan (if you can — I let them cool for 20 minutes and could wait no longer). Then, using a large bread knife, cut into 9 or 12 brownies.
*I use 66% Callebaud Mexican origin pastilles.
