Bailey’s Cheesecake Swirl Brownies #Choctoberfest

I’m so glad that #Choctoberfest is here! I’ve not made anything chocolate for quite a while and I’m not even sure why … chocolate is one of my favorite things in the whole world and it SO deserves a regular appearance in my kitchen. If you haven’t entered the #Choctoberfest giveaway, what are you waiting for? Go do it now! Just go to this post and scroll down to the Rafflecopter thingy. A big thanks to Imperial Sugar for sponsoring this big event and sending me the box of their lovely sugar.

I made these brownies for a concert reception … my friend volunteered to put this concert together and she needed help. She wanted to have a reception after the concert with wine and food and well, that sounded like something I needed to do for her. So I did. It was quite a spread, with lovely marinated cheeses and little toasts, bruschetta, smoked salmon swirls, toffee grapes, these brownies and a big colorful fruit plate.

I had a handsome kitchen helper who helped dip the grapes, carried everything to and from the car and serve the food, and then he collected all the glasses afterwards and washed up the dishes and cleaned the kitchen and I am soooo grateful for his help. He made the whole night magical for me.

It was a cool autumn evening with beautiful music in a rustic, romantic setting by the river. Nights like that deserve a little something special for dessert.

Bailey’s Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the brownies:

• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2 oz. dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups Imperial sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 Tablespoons Bailey’s Irish cream (or other Irish cream liqueur)
• 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – 1 cup dark chocolate chips

For the cheesecake:

• 1 8-oz. package Greek cream cheese (or Neufchatel)
• 1/4 cup Imperial sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur (or other Irish cream liqueur)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray a 9 inch square or a 13x9x2 inch pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the chocolate and butter and microwave on high for 90 seconds. Stir well, then if all is not melted, microwave another 30 seconds and stir again. Cook for another 30 seconds if you can’t stir out all the un-melted spots.
3. Add the sugar, eggs, Bailey’s, and vanilla and stir to mix well. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt until a thick chocolatey batter forms. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Spread 2/3 – 3/4 of the brownie mixture in the pan, setting aside the rest for swirling on top. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Pour the cheesecake mixture in a thin layer all over the top of the brownies. Plop bits of the reserved brownie mix in various spots on the brownies, then use a knife to swirl the two mixtures around.
5. Bake at 325 F. for 40 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean. (You’ll need to cook it longer if you use a 9-inch pan.) To get a nice clean edge on the brownies, put the pan in the freezer to chill for at least an hour or until cold, then cut with a warm knife.

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Notes

Use the smaller pan for thick chunky brownies like this or the larger pan for thinner brownies. I’ve tried both and I think I prefer the thin ones–they are easier to cut into little bite-size pieces.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Simple Supper Tuesday, Tuesday’s Table, The Wednesday Roundup  and Hearth & Soul Bloghop.