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Mint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

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Weather: 32 degrees, had a nice little snowfall today
What I’m listening to: the chaos that is Spring Break at my house (two kids roughhousing downstairs and my oldest rummaging loudly through a big box of Legos upstairs).

Boy oh boy, you guys are going to love these St. Patrick’s Day treats I made for you. This time of year, we always see a surge in all things green and minty, like Thin Mints and Grasshopper Milkshakes. I wanted to make my own contribution to the cause with my Mint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies.

 

One of the best things about this recipe is that these delectable morsels look much more fancy and labor intensive than they really are. This is a simple, fudgy, one-bowl brownie recipe that only takes a few minutes to whip up. Then, you make the minty cream cheese mixture and swirl it into the brownie batter. Pop them in the oven for 30ish minutes and you’re in business. These brownies are impressive to look at and even more delicious to eat. You’ll need the luck o’ the Irish to keep these around the house for more than a few minutes after you take them out of the oven.

Mint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

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Fudgy yet elegant brownies with minty cheesecake swirl.

Yields: 9 large brownies (can be sliced smaller)

  • For the Brownie Batter:
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch-processed)
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • For the Cheesecake Batter:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • green food coloring (I used Wilton leaf green food coloring gel)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 square brownie pan.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the cocoa followed by the flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into the prepared pan.

In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese together with the sugar until smooth. Incorporate the egg yolk and extracts, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add food coloring as desired to reach the color you're wanting (I used about three drops of gel).

Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter (you may be tempted to think there is too much cream cheese mixture... but don't worry. When the brownies bake, they puff up and it all evens out nicely). Using a butter knife, swirl the two batters together in an up and down motion. Then, repeat the same motion crosswise until the desired swirling is achieved, being careful not to over swirl.

Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes or until set, being careful not to overbake. Allow the brownies to cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. For clean slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.

 

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