Okay, this is the first recipe of the new year and also the first recipe that I’ve used my desktop photo studio to improve the lighting and stuff for the photos. I need to take more time with it but I will learn. I also really need to do something with the wrinkled backdrops. Can you iron nylon?
Before we begin, a few disclaimers and caveats. This recipe is based on Junior’s Brownie Swirl Cheesecake and although I made some changes to slightly healthify the recipe it is by no means diet friendly. Still, it’s my birthday and I’ll eat cheesecake if I want to! For the full fat unadulterated version, go to the link.
I also made a few changes for laziness sake. I honestly have never made a good brownie from scratch. I can make puff pastry but brownies elude me. I think this is because people have very strong opinions on what a brownie should be and the “best” cake brownie is never as good as a bad fudge brownie to me. Someday I’ll find the perfect brownie recipe but for now, boxes rule.
Brownie Bites Cheesecake
1 box brownie mix, prepared per box directions (I used Ghiradelli’s Ultimate Fudge Brownie)
three 8-ounce packages neufchatel cheese (low fat cream cheese),
at room temperature
2/3 cup Splenda brand Sugar Blend (that’s the kind that’s part real sugar)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (that’s about 1/3 cup mini morsels)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
Prepare brownie mix. Spray and for heaven’s sake use a piece of parchment paper to line your 9 inch springform pan. I really, really wish I’d used the parchment paper! Use about 2/3 of the brownie batter in the large springform and the rest, bake in a small pan. It’ll take about 15 minutes to bake the large pan (per the instructions on the box) until the edges are just set and the middle is still quite soft. The small pan you want to bake until it’s done and even though it’s smaller, it’ll take longer.
Let the brownies cool completely for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Making the cheesecake batter is always a lot easier than what people think. I’ve used Junior’s recipe for years – it’s my ideal cheesecake: rich and dense. If you like light and fluffy this is not the cheesecake for you.
(this is mostly direct from the recipe – it’s good technique and it works!)
Put one package of the cream cheese, about 1/3 of the sugar blend, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. (Normally I use a stand mixer for this but I used a hand blender this time. I have on occasion done this in the food processor.) Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining sugar blend, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the 2/3 cup of cream just until completely blended. Don’t overmix!
(Back to me)
Assembling the cheesecake a la Zaz. Cut up the small brownies. Ladle a little of the cheesecake mixture over the brownie base then drop the other brownies over the cheesecake batter, try to cover the pan fairly evenly. Pour all but about 1 cup of the batter over the brownies. Or be precise and measure out 1 cup batter and set it aside.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for about 1 minute. Watch this carefully. I hate melting chocolate in the microwave because I have often burned it. Still, setting up a double boiler for 1/3 cup of chips seemed silly. Be sure to stir the chips since they start to melt before they look like they’ve started to melt. When smooth, add to the remaining cheesecake batter and mix well.
Drop the chocolate cheesecake batter by spoonfuls over the white batter. Swirl in pretty figure 8s with the tip of a sharp knife until it looks like you think you want it.
“Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top of the cake has golden and dark chocolate swirls, about 11/4 hours. Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours (just walk away—don’t move it). Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.” (from Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake)
I confess, I have never had good luck with using a water bath so I just don’t do it. Perhaps I need a better springform pan. I overbaked this just a little bit as you can see the top cracked a little bit and the outer edges were just a bit tough. It’s been a while since I made a cheesecake and I baked it for the full hour and fifteen minutes. Usually, I like to underbake it slightly (about one hour) and turn the oven off, leaving the cheesecake to cool in the oven. That works well for me. If water baths work well for you then more power to you. And send me a link to a good springform pan that doesn’t leak.
I allowed it to cool for an hour or so then added the chocolate glaze that was included with my brownie mix. You could certainly make a little ganache or I read a suggestion to use hot fudge topping for a cheesecake topping and that sounds nice and drizzly. I then topped the cheesecake with chopped pecans since I forgot to include them inside the cheesecake as I’d planned. A happy accident as Bob Ross used to say since I really liked them on top.
p.s., I’m going to try to take a better photo of the slice. Since I didn’t use parchment paper to line my springform I had a devil of a time getting the crust out more or less whole.
p.p.s., I fully expect to find typos when I re-read this. If by some odd chance someone finds them before I do, please point them out in the comments.
