“Trio”-politan Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
These brownies feature chocolate in three varieties:
Dutch-process cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate.
Brownie Base
Ingredients:
• 2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces butter, softened
• 2 cups Pioneer granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper sprayed with non-stick spray.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed and add flour mixture, beating until well blended.
Set aside one cup of dough. Press the remaining dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking. Bake until the base is set, and the edges are puffed, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer
Ingredients:
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/8 cup Pioneer confectioners’ sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
Bittersweet Chocolate Cheesecake Layer
Ingredients:
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of Pioneer confectioners’ sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Follow the same procedure (detailed below) for each of the two different flavors of chocolate cheesecake layers, using a separate bowl for each.
In a bowl beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add in the melted, cooled chocolate and the sugar.
Note that the sugar amount is different for each of the chocolate cheesecake batter types.
For the batch of white chocolate batter add 1/8 cup of confectioners’ sugar, and for the batch of bittersweet chocolate batter add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar. Beat the cream cheese, chocolate, and sugar for 2-3 minutes or until fully combined and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and salt, and beat again until fully incorporated.
Once the brownie base layer has cooled, top it with the remaining 1 cup of Dutch-process base layer dough and the white chocolate and bittersweet chocolate cheesecake batters.
You can do this by simply spooning the batters on top of the baked base layer and using a knife to swirl them together.
If you want to be extra fancy, place each of the three batters in a piping bag and pipe onto the base layer in stripes or the pattern of your choice.
Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes more, until the cheesecake batters appear set.
Let cool and chill thoroughly before cutting and serving.
Lindsay Falke, Hillsdale MI
