HappyTummy              

Hmm… what did I do wrong? I’m so sad that Dorie’s Espresso Cheesecake Brownies didn’t come out that great for me. While they were beautiful—quite possibly the most beautiful Dorie creation I’ve created to date—they just didn’t come out tasting good.

The brownie layer was fantastic, but the cheesecake layer tasted, well, eggy. And the weird thing is, I’m normally a fan of eggy. I love flan and custards. But when you bite into something that you expect to be creamy, and instead you get eggy… it’s not a good texture sensation.

Could it be because I used egg substitute? My sister, who hates it when I make substitutions, will say, I told you so! You shouldn’t mess around with recipes! And OK, OK, this time I’ll admit it—I shouldn’t have strayed from Dorie’s original. So instead of posting my version of the recipe as I usually do, you’ll find the real deal below!

Recipe: Espresso Cheesecake Brownies
From Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon ap flour
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet.

To make the brownies: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Put the butter in the bowl, top with the chopped chocolate and stir occasionally until the ingredients are just melted — you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

With a whisk, stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla and beat vigorously for a few seconds. With a whisk or rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Set aside while you prepare the cheesecake.

To make the cheesecake: Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water; set aside to cool to tepid.

Meanwhile, working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes or so, until well incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and espresso mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the sour cream, followed by the flour. The batter will be smooth.

Give the brownie batter a few stirs with a spatula, and pour three quarters of it into the prepared pan. Smooth the brownie layer and pour the cheesecake batter over it, tilting the pan as needed to even the batter. Dot the top of the batter with spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter, then, using a table knife, swirl the dark batter into the cheesecake batter, taking care not to plunge the knife into the lower brownie layer. The cake looks and tastes best if you swirl sparingly.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the brownies pull away from the sides of the pan and the cheesecake layer is beige in the center, lightly browned around the edges and puffed all over. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temp.

When the brownies are completely cool, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.

To make the topping: Warm the sour cream and sugar in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour the topping evenly over the cold cheesecake layer.

Return the brownies to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 more hour, or until the topping is also thoroughly cold.

The easiest way to cut this dessert is to run the knife blade under hot water, wipe it dry and cut the cake into quarters. Remove the quarters from the pan and again using a warmed-and-dried knife, cut each quarter into 4 pieces.