It’s brownie time! – Hive and Nest

Dear Selwyn,

Sorry things are so yucky for you right now with the ex being a douche bag. Here is the recipe for the amazingly wonderful Cream Cheese Brownies to help you drown your sorrows. I would send you some but you live in Australia and they would taste wretched by the time they arrived.

Jennie

**To melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave oven, microwave chocolate alone at 50 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir chocolate; add butter; and continue microwaving at 50 percent for another 2 minutes, stopping to stir the mixture after 1 minute. If chocolate is not entirely melted, microwave an additional 30 seconds at 50 percent power.**

This recipe makes one 8″x8″ pan.  You can double it and make them in a 9″x13″. You might think you can eat a big pan of them all by yourself, but you can’t.  These brownies are rich and no matter how big of a pig you are, you simply can’t eat them all (I should know.) 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature Preheat oven to 325º. Line an 8″x8″ pan with a couple of sheets of tin foil or parchment and spray with cooking spray.  Whisk flour, salt and baking powder together in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl melt chocolate and butter together in the microwave (you can do it on the stovetop in a double boiler too.)  Remove from heat and whisk in sugar and vanilla.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each one before adding the next. Continue whisking until mixture is completely smooth.  Add dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar, vanilla and egg yolk until well blended. Pour a third of the brownie batter into the pan.  (Don’t worry if it doesn’t cover the bottom.) Drop half of the cream cheese mixture, by spoonfuls, over the batter.  Add the remaining chocolate batter and repeat with the remaining cream cheese mixture. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs.  (If it’s clean, you overbaked them) about 45-55 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes then remove brownies in foil from pan.  Cool to room temp (if you can resist).  They really taste better the next day.