Baking with Carla: Cream Cheese Brownie Cake

It’s the first Monday of the year. Do you know what that means? It means that school resumes. It means that after 2 weeks of holidays I’m back to work. I know I should not complain about it. Most people do not get 2 weeks of Christmas holidays. There must be a perk in doing such a tiring job like teaching pre-schoolers. These 2 weeks did not feel too much. I was tired. I was exhausted. My life was a non-stop from August to December, so I sure needed 2 weeks. And for several reasons, I already know that January is going to be a hell of a month. I will be working far more hours than my usual schedule and I already have other commitments that will keep me more busy than what I like to be. Fo example, I know I won’t be able to be here, in my little humble space, with you guys as often and I wish. I’m already approaching January with a zen attitude. I know it will suck and I’ll deal with it. I will try to make the most of out it and I know I will also have to step back from blogging a little bit or I won’t get to the end of the month in one piece.

There is one thing that makes me happy about the beginning of the school year though: baking with Carla is resumed. And that really makes me happy. We met today after a three-week break and I had no doubt about the fact that we were going to make cream cheese brownies. To hell all the New Year’s resolutions. I do not make new year’s resolutions. If I did, I would not stick to them and I would get frustrated by guilty feelings for not sticking to them. So, what’s the point?

So without the burden of a “I need to eat healthier” resolution, I went ahead and treated Carla, her family and me (I have to taste test everything we make, right?) with these wonderful brownies. Nobody complained about me been a rule-breaker J

Actually, 5 minutes after I got home, they send me an email with the grade. The subject of the email read "more than A+". They are such a funny family. I'm glad they like them. Oh, they are also Wally's favorite. I seem to make everybody happy with these brownies. Why don't I make them more often?

Cream Cheese Brownies

Ingredients

112 gr (4 oz) of your favorite chocolate

30 gr (2 tbsp) unsalted butter

2 eggs

150 gr (5.3 oz or 3/4 cup) white sugar

2 gr (1/4 tsp) salt

2 gr (1/2 tsp) baking powder

65 gr (2.25 oz or 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

30 gr (2 tbsp) butter

85 gr (3 oz) cream cheese

50 gr (1.78 oz or 1/4 cup) white sugar

1 egg

8 gr (1 tbsp) all-purpose flour

2 ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract

                 

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9” square baking pan with parchment paper.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate over low heat with 2 tbsp of butter. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix together 2 of the eggs and 150 gr (3/4 cup) sugar until thick. Stir in the salt, the baking powder, and 65 gr (1/2 cup) of flour. Finally stir in the cooled chocolate and the vanilla extract. Set aside.

                   

In a separate bowl, cream 2 tablespoons of butter with the cream cheese. Gradually stir in 50 gr (1/4 cup) of sugar. Incorporate the one egg, 1 tbsp of flour, and 1/2 tsp of  vanilla extract.

                   

Spread two-thirds of the chocolate batter in a pan. Layer on all of the cream cheese batter. 

Spoon on the remaining chocolate batter in spots. Zigzag through batter with a knife to create a marbling effect.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack before cutting into squares.

Source: adapted from allrecipes