Guest Post: Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies by Food + Words

I’ve got another surprise for you –  Jaclyn from food + words is guest posting today! When I first discovered her blog, I was immediately drawn to the title. Straight to the point and has a witty feel to it. What was the next thing I was drawn to? I’d be lying if I said there was only one recipe that caught my attention, and many more continue to be bookmarked over time. Lately she has shared a lot of unique and amazing fall recipes such as a perfect fall morning autumn cider mimosa, and these crazy awesome fizzy dark chocolate pumpkin truffles. Check out her blog for even more fun recipes!

For today, I am loving that she used dark chocolate in these brownies. I don’t use that type of chocolate enough and having it in this cheesecake swirled velvet brownie just makes sense. Enjoy :-)

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Hey there, Spiffy Cookie readers!

I was so thrilled when Erin asked me to guest post on her site! As a fellow lover of baked goods, it only makes sense for me to share a sweet treat with you guys today!

Think of your all-time, number one most perfect, favorite dessert. Ever.

Is it a brownie?

Is it red velvet cake?

Is it cheesecake?

If you’re anything like me, you’re incapable of playing favorites. Ergo, these red velvet cheesecake brownies are perfectly dreamy.

It’s only responsible of me to warn you that you will not be able to eat just one. Really. They’re that addictive, guys. It’s actually kind of ridiculous how delicious these are.

Incredibly deep, dark chocolate red velvet brownies are intensely flavored with espresso powder, and then a thick swath of cheesecake is ribboned throughout the batter. I bake them just until the center is set, ensuring that once they’re sliced, these brownies are wonderfully gooey and perfect.

I don’t know about you, but I’d call that a dream come true!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

yield: 12-24 brownies, depending on how big you cut ‘em!

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 35 minutes

total time: 45 minutes

for the cheesecake swirl

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (i leave mine out overnight)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or seeds from one vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

for the red velvet brownies

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 1/2 teaspoons red food coloring

1 stick unsalted butter

2 ounces dark chocolate (i used espresso-infused chocolate)

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

line an 8” x “8 baking pan with aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick baking spray. set aside.

for the cheesecake swirl

using a spatula or a stand mixer with the beater attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. if working by hand, this should take about 2-3 minutes. with the mixer, it should take about 1 minute.

add the sugar, and beat until combined.

add the egg and vanilla, and beat until combined and mixture is smooth. set aside.

for the espresso red velvet brownies

combine the eggs, granulated sugar and espresso powder in a medium-sized bowl.

with a whisk, whip the mixture until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

add the red food coloring, using more or less depending on how deep red you’d like the final brownies to be. set aside.

in a small saucepan or a microwave safe bowl, combine the butter and chocolate. heat until chocolate and butter are melted, stirring often. when melted, remove from heat.

whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, and stir until combined.

sift in the flour and salt, and mix until flour is just dissolved and incorporated.

assembling the brownies

pour the red velvet brownie batter into the prepared 8” x 8” pan. smooth into an even layer with a spatula.

pour the cheesecake swirl mixture on top of the brownie batter.

using a butter knife, swirl the cheesecake mixture and brownie batter together until desired amount of swirl is reached.

bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, or until set. if a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean, they’re done.

remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

these are easier to slice if you let them chill in the fridge for a few hours after they’ve finished cooling on the counter.

to serve, lift the brownies out of the pan using the aluminum foil liner, and slice into desired individual sizes.

the brownies will keep for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

you can also wrap these brownies in tinfoil and store in a freezer-safe zip top bag to keep them in the freezer. they’ll keep for up to two months.

to thaw, simply remove from freezer and place in the fridge overnight.