Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies
Makes 24 brownies
BROWNIES 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted
butter 3 ounces unsweetened
chocolate ½ cup cocoa powder 2½ cups sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon vanilla
extract 3 large eggs 1½ cups all-purpose flour
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature ¾ cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground
ginger ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 2 large eggs 1 cup pureed canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) ¹⁄3 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
extract Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter or spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Make the brownie batter: Melt together the butter and chocolate in a medium-size pot over low heat, stirring until smooth.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder, sugar and salt, then blend in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring quickly so they
don’t have a chance to cook at all before they are blended in. Blend in the flour.
Scrape about ¾ of the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Set the pan and the remaining brownie batter (about one cup) aside. Make the pumpkin
cheesecake batter: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add the cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves and beat, scraping down the sides, until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the pumpkin, cream and vanilla until smooth.
Spread the pumpkin cheesecake batter over the brownie batter in the pan, and then use a tablespoon to dollop remaining brownie batter over the top in spots.
Use a dull knife to swirl the mixtures together on top, making sure to leave it very streaky, and not blend too much.
Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out clean.
Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Cut into 24 squares. Nutritional information per serving: 283 calories; 166 calories from fat; 19 g fat (11 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 90 mg cholesterol; 166 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 21 g sugar; 4 g protein.