Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

 

Loved them with my coffee this morning

These use the same base as my Cappuccino Brownies but rather than have a coffee flavor they have raspberry! (Duh.) I was trying to come up with something sweet and fun to make for the Fourth and when I saw raspberries on sale I thought I'd test out this idea I'd been kicking around.

Before I come up with a recipe, I always poke around the internet for other ones to get ideas. I saw lots where people put the whole raspberry in the batter and lots where people used jam, but I really wanted to try it out with raspberry sauce. I was a little worried it might not set up - but it did and I love these! They are ooey and gooey and fudgy.

Note: If you don't want to make a raspberry sauce from fresh fruit, you could sub out Raspberry preserves. It won't have the same fresh flavor but I am 98.2% sure it would still be very delicious.





Ingredients:

For the Raspberry Sauce

1. 1 cup of raspberries (fresh is better, but frozen would work. If frozen though, you'll want unsweetened or you'll have to adjust the sugar)
2. 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp white sugar
3. 2 tbsp water
4. 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled - doesn't matter)

For the Cream Cheese Layer

1. 1 package cream cheese
2. 2 tbsp butter (as always I use HEB's salted butter)
3. 1/2 c. white sugar
4. 1 egg
5. 1 1/2 tbsp flour
6.  1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the Brownie Batter

This is the type of chocolate I use

1. 4 oz. German Chocolate Bakers squares
2. 3 tbsp butter
3. 2 eggs
4. 3/4 cup white sugar
5. 1/2 tsp baking powder
6. 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp flour
7.  1 1/2 tsp. vanilla


Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and grease your pan
2. Make your Raspberry Sauce: place all the ingredients in a small pan and over med-low heat (about a 3).

Mash  the mixture up with a spoon or spatula

All smooshed up

Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until its thickened.  While its cooking be sure to help break up the raspberries with your spoon.

See how it has an almost gelled appearance?

 Set it aside in a bowl to cool

Raspberry sauce is delicious over ice cream or cake too!

3. While the raspberry sauce is simmering melt the chocolate bars and 3 tbsp of butter together over a double boiler. Do it low and slow (i.e. over low heat) and stir often. TIP: If you don’t have a double boiler try putting a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water – but use a potholder!

4. Set melted chocolate aside to cool. 

5. Check on your raspberries then begin making the cream cheese mixture. Blend 2 tbsp of butter and the package of cream cheese together until thoroughly combined. I use the paddle attachment on my kitchen aid mixer.

 6. Slowly add the ¼ cup of white sugar to the cream cheese mixture until it is completely mixed and fluffy.

 7. Add the egg, flour, and vanilla to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth and fluffy. Scrape your bowl often so there aren’t chunks of cream cheese. Once its smooth and pretty set aside and clean your bowl so you can make your brownie batter.

8. Your raspberry sauce is probably done around now.

9. Begin the brownie batter! Bust out your whisk attachment on your Kitchen aid – or get your arms ready with your hand mixture (sorry kid – this is going to suck). Whip your two eggs until light, airy, and fluffy. They should change color to light yellow and you should see little bubbles in them.

10. Add your sugar and whip it. Whip it good. No seriously – it’s almost like you’re making a meringue. It needs to really thicken and keep its shape a bit while you beat it. If you do skip this and beat it too little your batter will be really runny. Its going to take you a good 5 minutes.  

Are you singing Devo in your head right now? I am...

11. Did you really beat your eggs? If yes go to 12, if no DO IT SOME MORE!

12. Now add the vanilla, flour, and baking powder. Stir till combined.

13. Go grab your cooled chocolate and stir it in. Your batter should be thick and chocolatey. 

 14. Assemble the brownies! First pour in your brownie batter. Then top it with the cream cheese mixture and spread until smooth. Finally spoon spoonfuls of raspberry sauce on top of the cream cheese mixture.

I guess you could just leave it like that...blob brownies

Then drag a toothpick or chopstick or whatever (so long as its clean and food safe!) through the blobs to marble it.

I remembered to marble it this time

15. Bake for 40-45 minutes until set. Make sure you do the toothpick test.  

Enjoy!!

Brownies: Breakfast of Champions