Marbled Mocha Brownies

So I love brownies, and I love baked cheesecake. Well, when you combine the two, it's amazing. This marbled mocha brownie from Belinda Jeffrey's every reliable Mix and Bake is the ultimate brownie. You get the chocolate-y goodness of the brownie, while also getting the soft creamy texture of the cream cheese part. It also looks great with the swirls throughout the brownie.

To make this brownie is very easy. Obviously it's not as easy one bowl Macadamia Brownies also from Belinda, but it's not much harder. You basically make the brownie and then mix in the cream cheese.


Marbled Mocha Brownies
From Belinda Jeffrey's Mix and Bake

INGREDIENTS
180g dark chocolate
90g unsalted butter
3 tsp instant coffee granules
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coffee liqueur or very strong black coffee

TOPPING
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup castor sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp coffee liqueur or very strong black coffee

METHOD
1) Preheat oven to 180C. Butter and line a 32 x 24 x 5cm baking tin with baking paper.

2) In saucepan, melt chocolate, butter and coffee granules over low heat until all melted and smooth. Leave mixture to cool.

3) In large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar for 1 minute. Sift flour, cocoa and salt into mixture. Stir them in lightly. Add vanilla extract, liqueur and melted chocolate mixture. Stir until well mixed.

4) In another bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Drizzle in the beaten eggs a bit at a time, beating well between each addition. Mix in flour and liqueur (mixture may look a bit curdled).

5) Stir brownie mixture and pour into prepared tin, leaving about half a cup of mixture. Tilt tin to get mixture to spread evenly. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese topping all over this layer. Drop teaspoonfuls of the reserved brownie mixture over the cream cheese. Use a skewer to swirl the two mixtures together. Don't overdo it or you will lose the marbled effect.

6) Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the edges are pale golden and an inserted skewer comes out with moist, but not wet, crumbs. Cool brownies on a wire rack. When completely cool, pop into freezer for an hour to chill.

7) Once firm, invert brownies out of tin and peel away baking paper. Cut into slices and store in an airtight container. Brownies can be stored in the fridge for two weeks.