I'm a big fan of brownies. And these brownies? Fantastic and decadent. It's what a brownie should be!

Unlike my last brownie recipe, which is fairly balanced, these brownies go beyond fudge-like - it's like biting into pure chocolate. The best part? The chocolate is marbled with generous swirls of cheesecake filling. That balances out the otherwise intense notes of chocolate. And to gild the lily, the brownies are studded with chunks of dark chocolate.

A note about serving the brownies: I like to bake these up and then chill them overnight in the fridge. The flavors seem to take on a new depth when chilled. Which makes sense when you think about it. How is cheesecake usually served? Cold. I think the mellow flavors from the cream cheese mixture emerge with a more pronounced "oomph" when served cold.
And as a practical matter, the brownies are much easier to slice and dice when cold.

Cheesecake-Marbled Brownies

THE BROWNIE BATTER

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.

Next, heat butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan. Or, like I did, heat the chocolate double-boiler style, placing the mixing bowl over simmering water. The benefit? One less dish to wash!

So, simmer gently over moderately low heat, whisking occasionally, just until melted. 

Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.

Whisk in the flour until just combined.

Finally, spread evenly in pre-buttered baking pan.

CHEESECAKE BATTER

Whisk together cheesecake batter ingredients until smooth.

Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl in with a knife or spatula.

The trick here is to try to fold bits of the brownie batter over the cheesecake batter, for a more visibly marbled effect. The goal is create a swirled texture. Be careful not to overmix.

Sprinkle chocolate chunks (or chips) over the cheesecake-brownie swirl. 

BAKING THE BROWNIES

Bake until the edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35 minutes (mine took less, about 30 minutes). 

Serve warm, at room temperature, or as discussed earlier, chilled. 

Enjoy!

Makes 16 2-inch square, thick brownies.

INGREDIENTS (Brownie Batter)
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour


INGREDIENTS (Cheesecake Batter)
8 ounces cream cheese, well softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


PLUS
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks / chips


Recipe adapted from the always-solid Smitten Kitchen.