An absolute embodiment of decadence. It's definitely one of these deviant products of perversive food cravings chasing you day after day... I'm not sure to what extent it was a particular taste or texture craving but for sure I felt like having a heavy, rich and moist brownie...AND cheesecake. So after few days of struggling with these sinful thoughts I blessed the perfect marriage between brownie and cheesecake with a dollop of holly dulce de leche. Amen.
If it comes to the recipe for the brownie part, it's actually a recipe for my (in)famous "Heart-Stealing Brownies" aka. "The Ultimate Tool of Seduction". I also have to admit that it's the only cake recipe I do know by heart. I've "performed" it for 7 (!) years now -- it's also the only cake I can make being blindfolded... ;) And I still remember the very first brownies I made - I ate the whole batch watching Woody Allen's "Manhattan Murder Mystery". Nota bene, Allen and Keaton go very well with chocolate... ;)
A distinctive feature of this brownie part covered with a cheesecake coat is that it's extremely soft and creamy, more like a melting in your mouth chocolate truffle than a typical brownie. Tastes best when really well refrigerated - for a nice contrast you can try it with a hot raspberry or blueberry sauce.
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Brownie Part:
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 150g butter
- 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
- 2/3 cup flour
- 3 tbsp cocoa
- 50g walnuts/hazelnuts
- 50ml vodka
Cheesecake Part:
- 600g cream cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
- 400g dulce de leche*
Brownie Part:
- Melt the butter on a medium heat - do not burn it :)
- Take the melted butter off the heat and add 100g chocolate - let it melt on its own in a hot butter and then stir it all together. This way you do not have to melt the chocolate over hot water which takes a while and at the same time the risk of burning your chocolate is precluded as you melt it with no external heat source.
- Beat the eggs with sugar until the mixture is straw-colored, soft and fluffy.
- Add the melted butter +chocolate mixture to the beaten eggs - stir it together.
- Mix the flour and cocoa together. Then sift it into the batter. (Unsifted cocoa very often lumps)
- Stir the vodka into the batter.
- Chop another 100g of chocolate and nuts. Add them to the batter.
- Mix all the ingredients together :)
Baking:
- Grease a 25cm * 25cm baking pan with butter.
- Pour the brownie batter on the bottom and then carefully pour the cheesecake mixture on the top.
- Bake it in 170 degrees Celsius for 30-40min. until the top is nicely golden.
