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ackee cheesecake brownies

Ackee Cheesecake Brownies

Chantal
Two simple recipes swirled together to create a dramatic and delicious contrast
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 24 2x2" brownies
Calories 214 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the ackee cheesecake filling:

  • 113 g Cream cheese (half a block)
  • 100 g Parboiled ackee
  • 60 g Granulated white sugar
  • 14 g All purpose flour
  • 1 to 2 tsps Lemon juice optional
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the brownies (from King Arthur Flour):

  • 1 cup Unsalted butter (227g)
  • 2 cups Brown sugar (425g)
  • 3/4 cup Black Cocoa (64g)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Espresso powder
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla bean paste
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup White wholewheat flour (170g)
  • 1 recipe Ackee cheesecake filling

Instructions
 

For the filling:

  • Combine all ingredients in a food processor, pulse till smooth.
  • Alternately, puree the ackee, then cream together the cheese, sugar and flour, when smooth add the ackee, juice (if using) and extract

To finish the brownie

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Spray and line a 9 by 13 inch pan or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (Tip: make the parchment paper longer than the length of the pan so you have some “overhang” this will allow for easy removal after baking)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside
  • Put butter in a large (microwave safe) bowl. Melt the butter either on the stovetop over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave.
  • Add sugar to the melted butter and mix well to combine.
  • Add the eggs followed by the vanilla
  • Then add in the dry ingredients mixing till smooth, do not overmix
  • Spoon batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  • Spoon or pipe dollops of the ackee cheesecake filling over the top of the brownie batter randomly. Using a butter knife, drag it through the batter in a swirling motion to make the effect. 
  • Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. A skewer or sharp knife inserted near the centre should yield moist crumbs but not raw brownie mix.
  • Remove from oven and cool completely in pan before cutting 

Notes

Tips:
When dropping the cheesecake filling over the brownie batter, do so in random spots and make some drops larger than others, this will give you a really fun looking pattern. If you want it more uniformed, make your dollops about the same size, space them evenly and swirl less.
Do not be tempted to “over-swirl” - less is more for a dramatic effect. To ensure that your swirls run through the whole brownie and not just the top, you want to almost be scraping the bottom of the pan when you are swirling the mix. 
These are great to make ahead for a party, since if you can wait, they are better the second day when the wheat has softened