Cream Cheese Brownies
The earliest print reference found for combining cream cheese with chocolate brownies is from the early 1960s. General Foods promoted the recipe to sell its Bakers German Chocolate product.
FMM: I was thinking I would like to try this recipe with more of the cream cheese mixture. So I used 1 1/2 recipe of the Cream Cheese mixture. See the Cream Cheese Layer measurements in ( ). This turned out alright, but they are a lot sweeter than I remembered. I did substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips because I did not have German Sweet chocolate.
Cream Cheese Layer
3 ounces cream cheese (4 1/2 ounces)
2 T. butter (3 T.)
1/4 cup sugar (3/8 cup)
1 egg (1 egg)
1 T. flour (1 1/2 T.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla (3/4 tsp.)
Chocolate Layer
4 ounces German Sweet chocolate
3 T. butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract (optional - I do not use)
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the German Sweet chocolate and 3 tbsp. butter for the chocolate layer over low heat. Cool.
While it is cooling, make the cheese layer: cream the cream cheese with 2 tbsp. butter and gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar, creaming until fluffy. Blend in the egg, 1 tbsp. flour, and the vanilla. Set aside.
To make the chocolate layer: beat the 2 eggs until light colored. Slowly add 3/4 cup sugar; beat until thickened. Add the baking powder, salt, and flour. Blend in the chocolate mixture that has cooled along with the vanilla, almond extract and nuts.
To assemble: spread half of the chocolate batter in a greased 9" square pan. Top with the cheese mixture [just drizzle the mixture on top without getting it on the edge of the pan], then the remaining chocolate mixture. Zigzag a knife through the batter to marble.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 min. Do not over bake. A toothpick inserted into the center should not have any raw dough on it, but a few crumbs are fine.
Yield: 16 brownies. Recipe may be doubled.
