P. and I were thrilled when we heard that our great friend A. was in town with his son N. We met them both exactly nine years ago, on Devereaux Beach in Marblehead, thirty minutes North of Boston. I had only moved to Boston then, and I remember telling P. “ils sont français” when I saw them play on that beach. There were the swimming suits that helped, but also this je-ne-sais-quoi about how they interacted that convinced me that they were French. We started chatting and exchanged phone numbers. I love this memory of our first encounter. We have been great friends since then.
Because A. used to live in Boston for quite many years, we were looking forward to spending time together like we used to in the old days. We would talk about life here, with things that have or haven’t changed, and about Paris too, because this is where A. and N. have now been living for many years. Our plans for the evening were loose. We knew that we wanted an easy and simple dinner, probably a Thai restaurant where P. likes to have lunch and where we all indulged in plates of delicious drunken noodles, and I decided to bring dessert for us to share later in the evening. Since I had not been given much notice and was left short of time, I grabbed the opportunity to prepare a quick recipe from Epicurious, which I had marked “to try” a month ago: Cheesecake-Marbled Brownies. The experience was fun. Contrary to other recipes that I would typically try from my zillions of cookbooks, I particularly enjoyed reading comments left from previous readers that had tried the recipe. The recipe was scoring a 3 1/2 out of 4, from 28 readers. A lot of people mentioned that the brownie batter was not chocolaty enough, some were fully thrilled, others disliked it altogether. Moi ? Well, I decided to adapt keeping in mind what I had just read, along with using my own judgment to modify some of the suggested steps:
- I added more chocolate, although I also used 70% Valrhona chocolate instead of unsweetened as suggested in the original recipe.
- I skipped the vanilla in the brownie batter.
- I modified the way the brownie batter had been prepared, adding steps that I sensed would help for a better brownie result.
- I sifted the flour.
- I decreased the brownie preparation sugar content.
- I cooked the brownies for 5 min less than suggested.
- We ate them at room temperature.
- I already did a variant, using Amaranth Flour** and White Rice Flour, with more chocolate again, a touch less butter, making for a great Gluten-Free version. It is my father-in-law who will be pleased! He is coeliac.
In a few words, we really all thought that they were great — well I think, since by 11 pm, nothing was left! I particularly enjoyed the balance between chocolate and cheesecake, one not overpowering the other (I would always go for more chocolate if asked). I am already looking forward to trying even more variants of the recipe, following whims of mine — I have tons of ideas — and hoping for a new visit of A. and N. soon. Or maybe next time, it will have to happen on my next trip to Paris in the fall, where I am sure I can easily bring in a batch of these cheesecake-marbled brownies. If I was able to bring Jeep shocks for my brother without the customs agents raising their eyebrows, brownies will be a piece of cake, won’t they? But then, in my own experience, you can really bring anything to France…
**Amaranth Flour is a type of flour obtained from seeds coming from the Amaranth plant. It is a great source of protein, manganese, magnesium, calcium, fiber and iron (higher than wheat), with a mild peppery and nutty flavor. It can be found in health stores.
You need:
For the Brownie Batter:
- 3 oz chocolate 70% cocoa (I used Valrhona)
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 stick unsalted butter, diced
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 2 large eggs
- Pinch of salt
For the Cheesecake Batter:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I used Philadelphia)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Steps:
- To prepare the cheesecake batter, mix all ingredients together, to obtain a smooth creamy texture. Keep.
- Preheat your oven at 350 F.
- Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
- To prepare the chocolate batter, melt the chocolate and butter in a double-boiler. Let slightly cool.
- Beat together the eggs and sugar with a pinch of salt until light and pale in color.
- Add 2 Tbsp chocolate first, then fold in the rest of the chocolate, trying to keep the preparation as light as possible.
- Sprinkle the flour on top, and fold in delicately.
- Pour the preparation in the pan.
- Add the cheesecake batter on top and make a swirly design in it using a fork or knife.
- Cook in the oven for 30 min. At this point, the brownies will be slightly gooey still. If you prefer them more cooked, increase the cooking time by 5 min or more.
- Let cool in the pan before cutting, and if any are left, store them wrapped in the fridge, bringing to room temperature before eating.
Cheesecake-Marbled Brownies
(Gluten Free Variant)
For the Brownie Batter:
- 3.5 oz chocolate 70% cocoa (I used Valrhona)
- 1/3 cup Amaranth flour, sifted
- 1/3 cup White Rice Flour, sifted
- 1 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
- 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 2 large eggs
- Pinch of salt
For the Cheesecake Batter:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I used Philadelphia)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Follow the same steps.
Ingrédients :
Pour la pâte de brownies :
- 85 g de chocolat noir à 70% (J’ai utilisé Valrhona)
- 90 g de farine, tamisée
- 113 g de beurre non salé, coupé en dés
- 150 g de sucre de canne blond
- 2 gros oeufs
- Pincée de sel
Pour la pâte de cheesecake :
- 230 g de cream cheese (type Philadelphia), ramolli (à défaut, utilisez un mélange de crème fraîche épaisse et de fromage frais, type Carré frais par exemple)
- 1 gros jaune d’oeuf
- 65 g de sucre de canne blond
- 1/4 càc d’extrait de vanille pur
Étapes :
- Pour préparer la pâte de cheesecake, mélangez tous les ingrédients ensemble pour obtenir une crème de texture lisse. Réservez.
- Préchauffez votre four à 180 C.
- Recouvrez un moule mesurant 20 x 20 cm de papier sulfurisé.
- Pour préparer la pâte de brownies, faites fondre le chocolat et le beurre au bain-marie. Laissez légèrement refroidir.
- Battez les oeufs avec le sucre et le sel jusqu’à blanchiment.
- Ajoutez 2 càs de chocolat fondu et mélangez avant d’incorporer délicatement le reste. Faites attention à garder la préparation aussi aérée que possible.
- Saupoudrez de farine et incorporez-la délicatement.
- Versez cette préparation dans le moule.
- Ajoutez la pâte de cheesecake dessus et faites un dessin avec une fourchette ou un couteau.
- Cuisez au four pendant 30 min. A ce stade, les brownies seront encore un peu coulants au milieu. Si vous les préférez plus cuits, augmentez le temps de cuisson de 5 min, ou plus.
- Laissez refroidir dans le plat avant de découper. Conservez-les emballés au frigo, et sortez-les à l’avance pour les déguster à température ambiante.
aux farines d’Amaranth et de riz blanc
recette sans gluten
Pour la pâte de brownies :
- 100 g de chocolat noir à 70% (J’ai utilisé Valrhona)
- 45 g de farine d’Amaranth, tamisée
- 45 g de farine de riz blanc, tamisée
- 1 càc de gomme xanthane (facultatif)
- 100 g de beurre non salé, coupé en dés
- 150 g de sucre de canne blond
- 2 gros oeufs
- Pincée de sel
Pour la pâte de cheesecake :
- 230 g de cream cheese (type Philadelphia), ramolli (à défaut, utilisez un mélange de crème fraîche épaisse et de fromage frais, type Carré frais par exemple)
- 1 gros jaune d’oeuf
- 65 g de sucre de canne blond
- 1 càs de maïzena
- 1/4 càc d’extrait de vanille pur
Suivez les mêmes étapes.
Technorati Tags: Food Styling, La Tartine Gourmande, Food Photography, Marbled-Cheesecake Brownie, Epicurious Magazine, Amaranth Flour, White Rice Flour, Gluten Free Brownies
wonderful adaptation! the photos are making drool too!
What a creative idea,the marble brownies looks awesome
This looks absolutely delicious. I just love reading the comments at epicurious.com, it’s part of the fun of using their recipes.
*de-lurks* I love your blog, but this is my first comment 🙂
these look incredibe Béa ! I can’t wait to try the recipe. I really love the colours in your photographs too
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe!! Just recently, I had a chocolate log marbled with cream cheese and I was bowled over, vowing to try and replicate it because the lady who made it doesn’t sell the stuff. I have to try this one. 🙂
Justement, je cherchais un brownie fromager! Je me lève et je tombe sur ta recette! Voilà une journée qui commence bien 😉
C’est drôle, je pense que c’est lié à ce temps pourri que nous avons eu en ce début d’été: j’ai l’impression que tout le monde a craqué pour toutes les merveilles les plus terriblement tentantes d’internet au chocolat!! je n’ai pas arrêté moi même et voilà que tu me donnes encore une raison de recommencer: je n’ai pas encore testé cette version!!
Jamais fait mais c’est toujours très beau un cheesecake marbré !
Those brownies look amazing! I recently tried making cream cheese brownies but wasn’t entirely happy with how they turned out. Not cream cheese-y enough for me to make it worth adding the cream cheese. But since you thought these were good and I still have hope for finding a delicious cream cheese brownie recipe, I will save yours. 🙂 I’ve also been intrigued recently by amaranth flour so I appreciate your little writeup about it. I will buy some soon.
Une recette alléchante! I still haven’t tried this version of brownies, but will soon have to, (especially after I have seen yours) ;-P!
Great pictures and bars…
J’avais également publié une recette de ce genre http://porcinette07.canalblog.com/archives/2007/05/21/5028219.html c’est d’un effet superbe !
Très très tentant !
I love how these look. I don’t eat cheese, but I simply adore the marbled effect on this. Great job (as always), Bea! 😉
I love that you experimenting with different flours. I have always wanted to do that but never had the time or courage to go ahead with it. But of course you are always an inspiration Bea!
How exciting! Experimentation rules!
I had bookmarked this same recipe, but had not made it yet, because of some of the reviews. So I am delighted to see you did all of the experimenting for me!
Absolutely gorgeous! I’m yet to make a brownie recipe, but it must be done soon 🙂
J’en ai aussi fait un recemment adapté de la recette de Rose Bakery et j’avais beaucoup aimé… et les autres aussi…
Il ne me reste plus qu’à tester ta version à l’occasion
Does cream cheese exist in France? I made some cheese cakes in france, and I tried all the cheeses to see whihc would be cream cheese, i ended up with those little kiri squares, opening up 3 boxes of 12 squares for one cheesecake 🙂
Brownies and cheesecake: two of our favorites. If I show this recipe to my husband, he will say Yum!
I would like to try your recipe with a more sophisticated cheese than Philadelphia. La Prunelle, a Montreal restaurant bakes their cheese cake with Saint-Honoré cheese. Divine. Saint-Honore cheesecake marbled brownies sounds promising. The saltier taste of the cheese would complement the dark chocolate taste. I will keep you posted on the results.
I love cheesecake brownies and yours look fabulous!
Wow! It looks super delicious. Your brownies are very beautiful.
Beautiful photos as always! Very nice to have a guide for comparing the finished product. Although I have a weakness for baked sweets, baking is a gap in my culinary skill set. Just have to practice more and it will come! Thank you for your generosity!
I always love to read what people write on epicurious, I find it very helpful when I make their recipes. I always try to make comments too in hopes it will help someone.
Fabulous brownies!
Oh là là ! Que c’est beau ! :))
Béa
I don’t know what it is about coming here. I’m not really a sweet person but your things (maybe it’s your words as much as the photos) always seem soothing. I really like the looks of these brownies and especially the insight into how you changed things.
i’m in love when i first to see this Marbled Brownies~
so yummy!
Should put some peppermint patties in ’em!
ben voila, le paradis réincarné en biscuit, ca donne ca 😉
These cheesecake brownies look beautiful…not to mention, delicious! I love browsing Epicurious for recipes, and have found many that are now in my list of tried and true. These will go on my must try list as well. 🙂 I love your photos!
I made these Brownies last month, also with a reduced amount of sugar. We liked them a lot 🙂
http://peho.typepad.com/chili_und_ciabatta/2007/06/marmorierte-bro.html
Oh my, so very, very, very pretty.
Great post.
Thanks a lot all. Merci a tous. Hope you have as much fun as I did playing with them!
When I opened this up Béa, I had to laugh as they looked just like our Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Slice! Then I read a bit further and went to the link on epicurious and went mmmm. I wonder if this recipe was originally on the back of a Kraft Philly pack as we got this recipe off a friend 15 odd years ago and she had been making it for at least 5 years before that and we live in Australia. mmmm.
This slice always proves to be a hit wherever we take it and are always asked for the recipe.
Decadent. I’ll have to try the gluten free version. Thank you for sharing the recipe you made for your father.
Sheltie Girl
I made these, too, although I didn’t alter the recipe as much–only decreased the sugar a little. They turned out so well, they changed my mind abt brownies that aren’t all chocolate!
It’s a combination of two of my favourite things, super!
Bonjour ! Extraordinaire. splendide . Beautiful photos as always.
I’m yet to make this recipe,but it must be done soon. Merci a tous.
This does appear deciously tasty. Not a great cook but when I a see a delicate work of art as this, I give a standing ovation.
Y u m m y!
Keep up the good work
Cheesecake just fits with everything, doesn’t it? My wonderful discovery was adding it on top of muffins – only that…it kind of makes you want to eat the top part and then take another muffin! But with brownies – there wouldn’t be such problem, i guess…:)
Hi,
I am a french reader, living in San Francisco. I was very happy to try this recipe which makes me think of “black bottom cupcakes”. I slightly reduced the amount of sugar…, this was delicious! Thanks (for the pictures too!).
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Bea,
these brownies look delicious – I must give them a try sometimes. Plus I’ve never used amaranth flour and I’m very very very curious.
Love xxx
– fanny
This recipe is fantastic! but i did some changes..I mix all ingredientes together , and i also use mascarpone instead of philadelfia..et voilá..a wonderfull chocolat cake!
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Recette testée et carrés nettement moins jolis que les tiens mais très bons. Merci
I am making the brownies right now. Without the cheesecake. They are in the oven. 🙂
I was looking for a good brownie recipe and thought this would be the ideal place to look them up!
Oh.. mine have turned out too sweet 🙁 oops
I dont know why
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Loved this one!!!! Im no great cooker, but was soo easy and tasty. Served with berryes jelly. yummmm
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So wonderful to see such a lovely gluten free version. Brilliant!
Made them yesterday, they tested really good. Thank you 🙂
Foarte tare , mult respect am sa vin sa tot citesc blogul este foarte interesant!
Cette recette est toujours un succès, je suis vraiment mortifiée de ne pas l’avoir dit ici haut et fort plus tôt… depuis le temps qu’on se baffre de ce gâteau diabolique !
Merci encore Béa 🙂