Richer than rich: chocolate cheesecake brownies

You can see Annalena's "versatility" in these pages, can you not?  Last time around, she gave you a wonderful vegan chili that is just the thing after rich food. And now, she's going to give you something to counterract all that healthiness.

Annalena found this recipe in a King Arthur catalog.  In fact, she found it in a King Arthur catalog about six times.  But she never took it, because Annalena just does not make chocolate things.  She seriously does not; however, she was asked to do a  Bake Sale, and in what was her finale' with bake sales for the organization, she presented these, because "everyone loves chocolate."    They area going to take you a bit of time to make, but if you need something for those special occasions, this is what you want.  It really is.

You need to make two batters:  a chocolate one, and a cheesecake one.  And to make the first, you need a cup of unsalted butter.  That's two sticks, ragazzi.  Melt it in a BIG pot (you're going to be adding a whole lot of stuff here), then add 2.25 cups of granulated sugar.  You mix this while the butter is melting, and you get a shiny, even textured mess.

Take this off the heat and then add 1.25 cups of cocoa (and carini, get GOOD stuff here. Use Dutch process, or black cocoa, but do not use the stuff in a tin you can get at the supermarket, please? It is NASTY), as well as a teaspoon each of salt, and baking powder.  I f you  have espresso powder, or even (GASP), instant coffee (Annalena has it for baking and it comes in handy during power outages, ragazzi), add a teaspoon of t his as well.  Finally, add a generous teaspoon of vanilla.  Stir this all together, and then mix in, one at a time, four eggs.  Finally, a cup of all purpose flour.  Mix this to smooth, and then stir in two cups of chocolate chips.  Again, ragazzi, use the good stuff.

Not really hard, huh?  Messy, but not hard.

Now, for the cream cheese batter, you need a pound of room temperature cream cheese.  Here, the stuff from Pennsylvania will do ya just fine.   Beat it to smooth, and then beat in 3/4 cup of sugar, a half cup of flour, tw teaspoons of vanilla,  a few tablespoons of whole milk, and then 2 eggs.   (Annalena  could have eaten this batter, as it was).

Now, get a 9x13 pan (and here, you CAN use metal), and grease it well.  Annalena used her spray for cooking for this, but be generous.  Pour half of the chocolate batter into the pan.  Now pour ALL the cream cheese batter over that.  Finally, spoon out the rest of the chocolate batter, in big PLOPS.

Now, you get creative.  Get a knife, a spatula, something with an edge, and start swirling the chocolate through the cream cheese batter.  Don't be too enthusiasatic, as it's easy to cover all the cream cheese with the chocolate.  You're looking for a swirly pattern.

Get this into the oven, and bake it for about 35 minutes (if you like soft and gooey), to 45 (if you like firmer and a bit more chewy).  In any event, when they're done, PLEASE LET THESE COOL COMPLETELY before you take a knife to them.

This recipe says it makes 24 brownies.  So be it.  Annalena found 24 too large a serving, and cut it into 30.  But you decide how much richness you can handle.    And enjoy them.   It's not too hard, and it makes a really good dessert.