Cheesecake Brownies

It is no secret that I love chocolate. Very rarely does a day go by where I don't have chocolate, and that's how I intend to keep living my life. So that leads me on to these cheesecake brownies: cheesecake wouldn't normally be my dessert of choice (even if I could actually eat it without regrets) - the biscuit base tends to be a bit too sweet for me, the filling is just always a little too much, and I always want chocolate in my desserts. This recipe attempts to rectify that with a rich, fudgy brownie for the base, and a (slightly) lighter vanilla cheesecake topping, which balances it out. Dare I say, it may even have the power to unite cheesecake lovers and non-lovers (lactose intolerant people, proceed with caution).

Tips: The cheesecake layer will need to fully set in the fridge for a couple of hours before slicing. These will only keep for a couple of days (if they last that long) - store in an airtight container in the fridge.

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Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Cooling time: 1-2 hours

Makes: 12-16 brownies

Ingredients:

For the brownie layer:

125g Butter

100g Dark Chocolate

2 Eggs

250g Caster Sugar

85g Plain Flour

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

For the cheesecake layer:

200g Full Fat Cream Cheese

65g Caster Sugar

1 tbsp Plain Flour

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

50ml Double Cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a square tin (approx. 20x20cm) with butter and baking parchment.

2. Melt the butter with 50g of the milk chocolate and the dark chocolate (50g) (either in the microwave in 20s intervals or in a bowl over hot water) and allow to cool.

3. Whisk the eggs with the sugar for 2-3 minutes (electric whisk) or longer (if using a hand whisk) until pale and fluffy.

4. Add the butter/chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.

5. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in until it is almost completely combined. Pour the mixture into the tin and spread until even.

6. For the cheesecake layer, add all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until light and airy (approx. 3 minutes). Pour on top of the brownie mixture.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cheesecake layer is mostly set (it might be a little wobbly in the middle) and light golden colour on top.

8. Allow cool in the tin then set in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for a couple of days.