Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
- Brownie batter
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick (113 g)
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (113 g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, 150 g
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed (53 g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (63 g)
- Cheesecake swirl
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (1 block, 226 g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, 50 g
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment, leaving overhang on two sides.
- Put the butter and chopped chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir often until just melted and smooth, then take it off the heat.
- Whisk both sugars into the chocolate. Let it cool so it is warm, not hot.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and salt, until glossy.
- Sift the cocoa over the batter, add the flour and fold with a spatula until no streaks remain.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla with a mixer until completely smooth.
- Spread about three-quarters of the brownie batter in the pan.
- Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the batter, then drop small spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter in the gaps.
- Drag a butter knife through both batters in a few S-shaped lines to marble them. Stop before it turns muddy.
- Bake until the cream cheese is set and barely tinged at the edges and a toothpick in a brownie spot comes out with moist crumbs.
Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
- Cool in the pan on a rack to room temperature.
- Refrigerate until firm so they cut cleanly.
- Lift out by the parchment and cut into 16 squares, wiping the knife clean between cuts.