Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
With a headline like that, who needs a subhed?
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When I announced this recipe was upcoming on social media I could practically hear the cheers. And why not, it’s a brownie with a layer of peanut butter cheesecake on top.
The recipe was inspired by a request from my daughter, and judging by the way she glormed them up this weekend when she was home for her birthday, I would say she approves.
I’m keeping today’s post short, as I know you all want to get straight to the recipe. That said, if you aren’t a peanut butter person, do not feel left out. You could make pumpkin cheesecake brownies or mochaccino brownies instead.
A few notes on today’s recipe:
Yes, I, who like a caffeinated mynah bird, repeats constantly how easy it is to cook from scratch, used a boxed mix for part of the recipe. I thought it my journalistic duty to see how Trader Joe’s Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix tasted, so I bought a few boxes. The mix (which—hooray—already contains chocolate chips) only requires melted butter and eggs, and the result is a brownie with a rich cocoa flavor and fudgy consistency. The best part is they taste homemade. I challenge you diehard Ghirardelli boxed mix fans out there to try this and let me know what you think.
I used Skippy Natural peanut butter in the recipe. Use whatever commercial brand you like. Do not use freshly ground peanut butter.
It’s best to cut these after they’ve been refrigerated a while.
If you don’t have a crowd to feed and want to try these, these brownies freeze nicely. You can wrap brownies up individually in plastic wrap and store them in a zipper freezer bag to keep any evil off-flavors getting to them.
You know, even if I leave treats next to my computer, it’s not enough to please the algorithm fairies. If you can help by clicking “like,” or sharing this substack with a friend or two, I would be grateful.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
Yield: 1 8x8” pan of brownies. How you decide to cut the brownies is up to you. Quarters, maybe?
What You’ll Need:
For the brownie layer:
1 box best-quality brownie mix (plus whatever other ingredients that mix calls for)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (if the mix doesn’t already contain them)
For the peanut butter cheesecake layer:
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (125 grams) peanut butter (see notes), room temperature
1/4 cup sugar (50 grams)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
What You’ll Do:
Heat the oven to 350° F/180° C
Grease an 8” x 8” baking pan, and line it with a parchment or aluminum foil sling, if desired.
Mix the brownie batter according to the instructions on the box. Stir in the extra chocolate chips, if desired. Spread three-quarters of the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Reserve the one-quarter for step 6.
With a hand- or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together, scraping down the bowl and beater frequently, until smooth and uniform in color. Add the sugar, the egg and the vanilla and mix on medium speed and remember your A B C (Always Be Scraping). At one point you may look at this gloopy mixture and imagine it will never come together. It will. Scrape, blend, scrape, blend. When the mixture is creamy and all you want to do is be alone and eat it with a spoon, it’s ready.
Evenly spread the peanut butter cheesecake mixture on top of the brownie mixture. Try not to disturb the brownie batter.
Dollop the reserved brownie batter on top of the cheesecake layer in even rows of 3 dollops by 3. Draw a knife or chopstick through the dollops, in a few different directions, to achieve a swirled top. Have fun. This is why we bake. (Also: be sure to use the word dollop as many times as possible while achieving this task. Dollop is a word that should definitely be used more. Dollop. Dollop. Dollop.)
Bake the mixture for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center is just ever so jiggly, yet if you touch the brownie with your finger, it should feel firm and not leave an impression.
Cool 30 minutes on a cooling rack, then refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
A thought:
At the risk of sounding simplistic, everyone could use some kindness and compassion these days, even if it means more work for us. The author Milan Kundera summed up my ideas.
“for there is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one's own pain weighs so heavy as the pain one feels with someone, for someone, a pain intensified by the imagination and prolonged by a hundred echoes.”
― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Even Ms. Glum of Amherst had some thoughts on the benefits of kindness.
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
—Emily Dickinson
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NOW YOU ARE TALKIN'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I finally got around to making your pumpkin-apple muffins and they were certainly worth the wait. I'm the family baker and we'll be celebrating my sister-in-law's mother who is celebrating her 93rd birthday this Sunday. I'll be making a Boston Cream Pie (although it's a cake) and I was looking for a second recipe to make and, as always, you've supplied it. This will be perfect. And, if you know why it's called Boston Cream Pie when it's a cake I'd appreciate being educated..