Plaza Bakery’s Cream Cheese Topped Chocolate Brownies
Topping
8 ounces Cream cheese; room temperature
1/2 cup Sugar
1 large Egg; room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pinch Salt
Brownies
8 ounces Bitter or semisweet chocolate – chopped
1/2 cup Butter, unsalted
4 large Eggs
1 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
For topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9 inch square
baking pan. The pan must be at least 2 inches deep. Dust pan with flour; tap
out excess.
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese with sugar in medium bowl until
smooth. Blend in egg, vanilla and salt. Set topping aside while preparing
brownie batter.
For Brownies: Melt chocolate and butter in heavy saucepan over very low
heat, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.
Using electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl
until thick, about 3 minutes. Stir in melted chocolate, then flour and
semisweet chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Spoon cream cheese topping into
pastry bag fitted with 1/2 inch round tip. Pipe cheese mixture in diagonal
lines atop brownie batter, spacing line 1/2 to 3/4 inches apart.
Run tip of small knife through cream cheese on opposite diagonal, spacing
1/2 inch apart and creating V pattern.
Bake until toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs still
attached, about 40 minutes. Cool dessert in pan on rack for 3 hours. Cover
and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Run sharp knife around pan to loosen.
Cut dessert into brownies. Serve cold.