Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

I have not posted a dessert in a while, have I? Tsk tsk to me!

I made this absolute delight for a game night with some law school friends back during a magical time before finals. Ahhh I vaguely remember those days...Anyway, finals are done, vacation is done and now on to work for the summer. Because it seems like my summer meals have been scheduled for me by the firm, the only non-sweets you will see on here this summer will likely be ones I have already photographed and just need to post. I do intend to bake for coworkers (once I can remember how to get around the super confusing hallways to offer them said baked goods) so you may see more desserts up here in the coming weeks.

This cheesecake was super rich, but was wonderful. I would say there were about 16 of us at the game night, and we polished it off completely, but none of us could eat any more because it really was rich and a sliver was enough. The combination of brownie and cheesecake/cream cheese is a classic (see, e.g. these beauties and this brownie with a cream cheese frosting). This cake takes that combo to a whole new level- and looks super impressive to boot. The chocolate on top can cover any cracks and the end result looks like you bought it at cheesecake factory. Gotta love that wow factor when you have to correct people "No, actually I made it." "NO WAY!!"

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake (adapted from AllRecipes)

Ingredients

• 1 box of brownie mix for 8x8"pan (I used Ghiradelli Triple Chocolate Mix)
• Ingredients for brownie mix
  
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips- if brownie mix does not include chips
  
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of 10-inch springform pan. Prepare brownie mix as package directs for chewy brownies. If chocolate chips are not included in brownie mix, mix in the chocolate chips. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake 35 minutes or until set.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Bake about 60 minutes or until set and beginning to become golden at edges. Cool. Chill thoroughly (very important! do not try to remove from pan while at all warm). Remove side of springform pan. Melt chocolate and drizzle over top (do after cake is removed from pan or else the chocolate will stick to the edges and rip your top if you are not careful). Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Caramel Brownies

WOW! These were some of THE BEST brownies I have ever had!! I don't know how to praise them enough. Dense, chocolatey brownies filled with gooey caramel and a layer of melted chocolate chips. Ya, I went there.

It was adorable. The first time I made these, I brought them to a dinner party at a friend's place. One of my friends asked "how did you get the caramel to go around and under some of the brownie." I gently explained that it was not a feat of gravity or magic, but that you don't pour all the brownie in at first. His surprise made the recipe all the better. Oh, and he loved the brownie! As did the host who kept a large part of the pan to enjoy after I left.

Speaking of dinner parties, All Things Edible is holding a housewarming party, and I am bringing these scrumptious bites. Hope everyone has a sweet tooth!

Caramel Brownies

• 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup Evaporated Milk (a little less than a can), divided
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
• 35 (1-10oz. pkg.) soft/chewy caramels, unwrapped
• 2 cups (1-12oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
  

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
COMBINE cake mix, butter and 2/3 cup evaporated milk (batter will be thick). Spread half of batter into ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
BAKE for 15 minutes.
HEAT caramels and remaining evaporated milk in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted. Sprinkle chocolate chips over brownie; drizzle with caramel mixture.
DROP remaining batter by heaping teaspoon over caramel mixture. (I found it looked best if you shaped large spoonfuls of dough into flat circles in your hand, then laid the circles over the caramel. Created a less craggy surface. Compare 1st and 2nd pictures at top)
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cuts easiest if set overnight or in the fridge for a bit.

Irish Brownies

I made these a long time ago and I have no clue why I have not made them since. Imagine: brownies. Good. Brownies with caramel. Better. Brownies with caramel Irish cream liqueur. BEST. The only person who didn't like these was a person who hates Bailey's already, but if you have any inclination to like Bailey's you will LOVE these.
Irish Brownies (Adapted from the Treasury of Home Baking cookbook)
4 oz chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur (I used the Bailey's Creme Caramel)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Irish Cream Frosting (recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in sugar.
3. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, with wire whisk. Whisk in Liqueur.
4. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Stir into chocolate mixture just until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
5. Bake 22-25 min. Cool completely before frosting.Irish Cream Frosting
1/4 cup (2oz) cream cheese
2 TBSP butter, softened
3 TBSP Irish cream liqueur
~1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I almost always use less than whatever is recommended because I don't want it too sweet)
Optional: Chocolate shavings

Beat cream cheese and butter in a small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in liqueur. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Spread on cooled brownies. Chill at least 1 hour until set before serving. Can top with chocolate shavings

Peanut Butter Brownies

Swoon. I am in love. Not just with the boy, but also with anything that contains both peanut butter and chocolate. Oh, it makes me weak at the knees. If peanut butter and chocolate could spoon me and fix my computer, than I think the boy may have a run for his money. Just kidding, cutie!Anyway, Friday night, run-girl-run was coming to visit and, when she talked to roomie she said "so does Amy have any yummy baked goods lying around?"

If I were a normal college kid, roomie's obvious response would have been "no, why?"

But...I'm me. So the response was "surprisingly no, you want me to drop a hint?"

And she did. And, gosh darnit if I did not immediately try to find a recipe to whip up. I went to smitten kitchen's blog, looked under desserts, and lost my breath when I saw peanut butter brownies. I clicked on the link and thought I was in heaven. They looked so dense and fudgey and peanut buttery. And they were.Like some readers who commented on smitten kitchen's blog, I had an issue with the edges getting a little too dark and crunchy before the inside cooked. I think this was partly to do with my oven which I am now discovering seems to run high, but I think the recipe would also be bettered by a slightly lower temp. I will try setting my oven to 330, which is likely 320 on a normal oven.

Even with the slightly burnt outsides, it was GREAT! The inside was dense and fudgey. I even liked the burnt outer rim because it contrasted the fudgeyness to the crispyness. Really good. All the girls loved it. The boy wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole (pb and chocolate does not have any appeal to him...so my affair with it would have to be a secret). But, despite the boy's thoughts, it was swoon worthy. Oh, come to me brownie goodness.I used 3/4 of a can of prepared chocolate frosting instead of the ganache because I had no ingredients for it (I had neither extra chocolate nor the cream). I really liked it as it was, and it was super easy, but next time I will try it with the adult-like ganache. I am posting the recipe below as it was on SK, even though I didn't use the ganache.Peanut Butter Brownies
For brownies
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
½ teaspoon salt

For ganache
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Make brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment.
Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined.
Mix in chocolate chips (1½ cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes (mine took about 35-again, hot oven).Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 ½ hours.

Make ganache: Put chocolate chips (1 ½ cups) in a heatproof bowl.
Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.
Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.
Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

Double Decker Confetti Brownies

Avoiding homework and law school applications has recently meant not avoiding an increased weight. Basically I have been baking in order to avoid...life. This is not going to end well.

Sometime last week I did just that. I broke out the "Treasury of Home Baking" and made the double decker confetti brownies. Brownie layer. Blondie layer. M&M layer. For fun, I put a peanut butter chip layer between the brownie and blondie, but will leave it out next time as I wasn't a fan of the texture or taste combo. Otherwise it's perfect. Everyone enjoyed my procrastination.

One warning: Putting down the brownie layer is hard. Very tough to even out, but it is possible. The blondie can also be hard, but going a little light on the extra flour helps.
Double Decker Confetti Brownies

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks	Butter, softened
1 c	Granulated sugar
1 c	Firmly packed brown sugar
3	Large eggs
1 tsp	Vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups	All purpose flour, divided
2 1/2 tsps	Baking powder
1/2 tsp	Salt
1/3 cup	Unsweetened cocoa powder
1TBSP	Butter, melted
3/4 cup	M&Ms

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 13x9x2 pan; set aside.

In large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla.

In medium bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Divide batter in half.

Blend together cocoa powder and melted butter; stir into one half on the dough.

Spread cocoa dough evenly into prepared baking pan.

Stir remaining 1/4 cup flour into remaining dough; spread evenly over cocoa dough in pan. Sprinkle with M&Ms.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until edges start to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

I have odd friends. As I've mentioned, the boy refuses to eat any veggie except broccoli. The roomies drink gallons and gallons of milk a day. Run-Girl-Run hates anything with lime. And another one of my friends, Emily, doesn't like many flavors. All she likes is apple juice, vanilla ice cream, m&ms, brownies and plain pasta. That's it. Well, Emily, Happy Birthday, this one was for you.

It was delicious. An uphill battle, but a worthwhile foe.

Dear god this was good. I was so nervous it was going to be horrible. First the ice cream didn't make a nice ring and it smooshed out the sides. Then the M&Ms bled color down the ice cream and slipped. Then the brownie was rock solid when we tried to cut it. But it was all worth it. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, especcially with an extra scoop of ice cream. SO tasty though. And even the birthday girl who doesn't like flavor or combining ingredients enjoyed it! Success!

Tips: do not touch, fiddle with or so much as look at the ice cream in the brownies until it has been in the freezer for 2 hours. It tends to slide out. Deal with it now and clean it up once frozen or else it will keep sliding out. This reduced the amount of ice cream INSIDE mine. Oh, and don't try to put candles in it. It's really hard because it is frozen.

(Below: the struggle for candles, along with other desserts and the gals)

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

1-2 bags m&ms

2 boxes brownie mix and eggs, oil and water called for on boxes for cake like brownies

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

What to do:
Prepare 2 round cake pans by greasing them.

Prepare brownie mix according to the package directions. Pour into the pans and top one of the pans with up to 1 bag m&ms
Bake according to the package directions. Remove and cool completely.
Run a small paring knife around the edges of each brownie, loosening it from the pan.
Invert layer without m&ms onto a cookie sheet, and spread vanilla ice cream on top, coming right to the edge (you can slightly soften the ice cream first).
Place the other brownie layer on top, m&m side up, and press gently to secure. Place in the freezer until firm, about 2 hours (this is crucial. do not mess with it or open freezer or touch it for about 2 hours).
Just before serving, press remaining M&M’S into the ice cream. (I put them in the day before hand, leading to the color drip, so unless you want it to look tie died, wait until the end)

Caramel Macchiato Brownies

As you may have figured out by now, I have a tendency of bringing goodies to work to give to coworkers. As you likely do NOT know, I have accidentally left the neediest set of coworkers without sweets. The poor paralegal and legal interns sit tucked away in the shared intern room in the no-mans-land part of the office. Only when they need to use a copier do they get anywhere near my desk, so they never see the goodies I have until they are all gone. These guys don’t get paid, but they come in everyday, do tedious tasks, and I don’t even give them baked goods! I am a horrible human being! This was kindly brought to my attention yesterday when one of the paralegal interns who I’m friends with mentioned that he didn’t get any of the smores cupcakes; they were all gone before he came over for his copying! I felt so bad and realized that I should really make sure these unpaid student interns have some good food, along with their good legal experiences. Thus began last night’s work.

As soon as I decided to bake for the interns, I knew I wanted to bake my caramel macchiato brownies. This decision was because Once Upon a Tart is holding her Brownie Babe of the Month contest, and boy, would I love to be the Brownie Babe this month! This recipe is perfect, I thought, since I created it for my school’s Iron Chef contest and won 1st place in the dessert category for it! That prize bought me a new hand mixer and a blender, so maybe the recipe can now get me an awesome apron, as well as the adoration of the interns ;)

Well, mission successful on the latter ½. The 2 interns who have tried it so far seemed to have enjoyed them. One kept licking his fingers! Always a compliment to the chef! Or just a sign that the caramel is gooey…

I first created these brownies using my favorite brownie base recipe (Rocky Road Brownies from The Treasury of Home Baking), and decided to make them like the Starbucks drink by adding coffee, topping with cream cheese (to replicate the cream foam) and caramel. They come out thick, rich and fudgey with a wonderful depth of flavor from the coffee and caramel and a sweetness from the frosting. It combines so well that your daily trip to Starbucks may become superfluous!

So that is the story behind the decision to make the brownies, and now the self deprecating story of their making. Let me start with the fact that I have a history of hurting myself baking. I have a scar on my left forearm from the removal of a cookie sheet that went awry. I have dents in my foot from where I stepped on broken glass from my salsa jar. This history did not evade me last night when I burnt 3 (THREE) of my fingers in a REALLY stupid mistake with the caramel. Look at the directions I give you. They say to heat in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time. Normally it takes me about 30 seconds, and I am lazy, so I just hit the “add minute” button and stop it every 10 seconds. That is, unless I am dumb like I was last night, and I go to answer my phone after I start it. I came back to the microwave with 7 seconds left. I cooked the caramel for 53 seconds straight.

Lesson 1) caramel bubbles and poofs when it is hot and even a handful will start overflowing from a bowl.

Lesson 2) Even if it is overflowing, do not remove said bubbling caramel from the microwave because it is HOT!

I opened the microwave, and at the sight of bubbling caramel getting on the microwave, I decided to quickly remove it. Except that boiling caramel is HOT and I burned 3 of my fingers in the process of the rescue mission. I spent the rest of the night icing my hands with a bag of the frozen green bell pepper soup (I KNEW it would come in handy!). Self deprecating stupidity story aside, this is a great, (almost) fool-proof recipe that anyone who can even tolerate coffee will love.

Tips for next time: pay attention to the caramel. Otherwise, I have made this recipe exactly to my liking.
Caramel Macchiato Brownies

Rocky Road Brownie Base
Ingredients:
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
(toppings omitted)
(I add 3 TBSP instant coffee powder)

Preparation:
1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 8-inch square pan.

2.Combine butter and cocoa in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.

3.(I add coffee powder and combine)

4.Remove from heat; stir in sugar, flour, buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

5.Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until center feels dry.

(I have omitted the final steps that are based around the rocky road toppings)

Caramel Macchiato Topping
INGREDIENTS:
½ to ¾ cup store bought cream cheese frosting
Instant coffee powder
Worthers original chewy caramels (not the hard candy, the soft, chewy ones)
TBSP water
Mix ½ to ¾ cup of cream cheese frosting with a light sprinkle of instant coffee powder and spread on cooled brownies. Sprinkle with instant coffee powder to get a speckled effect.
Put a handful of Worthers original chewy caramels in a microwave safe bowl with about a tablespoon of water and a pinch of instant coffee powder. Heat for 10 seconds at a time in the microwave (stirring once possible) until it is soft enough to drizzle on top. Drizzle the caramel over the brownie and decorate as you wish. Refrigerate.