Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

So, we’re halfway through what has been a very tumultuous year, with no indication of when things will return to calm. The need to make some delicious and easy comfort food is in order: raspberry cheesecake brownies.

My dad forwarded me this recipe from an email he received from our local supermarket, Woolworths. Not one to beat about the bush, it was a very straightforward indication that he’d like me to try making some.

I’m usually quite pedantic about the final presentation of food I make, but for this brownie the presentation care factor was about a 7/100. There was absolutely no finesse to my marbling, if you can call it that. I just haphazardly ran a toothpick through the mixture and called it a day. Still, I think the brownies turned out pretty, even if the raspberry spread was not so even. These brownies were a big hit at home – the tartness of the raspberries setting the sweet brownie off nicely.

This recipe calls for a whole lot of sugar and a entire block (250g!) of unsalted butter. I discovered I was about 50 grams short of butter, but the brownies still turned out really delicious – soft and chewy.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, each of which I will be addressing:

1. Cut down on the sugar
2. Reduced total amount of butter
3. Added in more raspberries
4. Baking pan used was larger than the dimensions mentioned in the recipe
5. Reduced the baking time
6. Butter at room temperature, not completely melted

1. I didn’t think it was necessary to add that much sugar in, so I reduced the 1 cup of caster sugar in the brownie mixture to a full 1/2 cup -scant 3/4 cup, but used 1 cup of brown sugar as directed.
2. The reduced butter was unintentional, but it turned out to be a good idea as it meant the balance of butter:sugar ratio was more even.
3. Initially, I measured out about 1 cup of frozen rasperries but after they went for a whirl in the microwave, they piddled down to not much. I ended up throwing in a few more frozen raspberries and letting them thaw at room temperature in the same bowl. I omitted sprinkling sugar in with the raspberries. The tartness from the rasberries really helps offset how sweet the rest of this treat is.
4. I didn’t have a pan of such dimensions (either too small, or larger) so I ended up using the closest sized pan I had, which was 34 x 24 x 5cm (13.5 x 9.5 x 2 inches). My larger dimensions meant that my mixture was spread across more surface area, making each brownie layer more thin, but I countered this by using softened butter, not melted.
5. As a result of using a larger pan, my baking time was reduced from the suggested 45 minutes. I ended up baking my brownies for approximately 35 minutes. Even then, I think my brownies might have been done at the 30 minute mark because of the browning around the edges and how much the centre jiggled (not much). It’s important that brownies aren’t overbaked otherwise they become quite tough.
6. Because the pan I used was larger than called for in the original recipe, I decided to use softened butter as opposed to completely melted butter. Melted and softened butter act in very different ways in baking, and I decided to cream my butter to make up for the fact my batter would be spead more thin.

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Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

Adapted from Woolworths’ Recipes

Ingredients:

For the topping:

• Full 1 cup frozen raspberries,
• 250g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 free range egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the brownies:

• Full 1/2 cup or scant 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 200g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 cup plain flour, sifted
• 3 free range eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tbs vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°c/160°c fan-forced (356°F/320°F). Lightly grease and line a 34 x 24 x 5cm (13.5 x 9.5 x 2 inches) slice tin with baking paper.

2. To make the raspberry topping, place raspberries in a small microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, then gently stir and set aside.

3. To make the cheesecake topping, add cream cheese and caster sugar into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and blitz until combined. If you don’t have a food processor, use a hand mixer to combine all the ingredients together until smooth.

4. To make the brownie, combine the caster sugar and butter in a large bowl and cream until pale and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients in and mix until combined.

5. To assemble, place brownie mixture into tin and use the back of a spoon or spatula to level. To create a marble effect, dollop cream cheese over brownie, followed by dollops of raspberry. Run a skewer or toothpick through the pan in small intervals in one direction, before going in the other direction to finish. Alternatively, you can marble your brownies however you like!

6. Bake your brownies for 30-35 minutes or until mixture has only a slight wobble in the centre and the cream cheese has started to lightly brown around the edges. If your baking tray is smaller, then the cooking time will be slightly longer. Keep a close eye on the brownies, making sure not to overbake them!

7. Remove tin from oven and allow to cool completely. Transfer your brownies to the fridge for 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Tip: The brownies can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or in the frezeer for up to two months.

Enjoy! 🙂