Mascarpone Cheesecake Brownies Four Ways Recipes

BROWNIES - 4 WAYS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with buttered parchment.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter to just simmering. Turn off the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Swirl the pan so the chocolate is submerged in the butter and let sit for 3 minutes. Gently whisk until smooth.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the eggs, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Turn the speed to low and slowly add the melted chocolate mixture.
• Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir just until combined.
• Pour into prepared pan and add toppings, if desired.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a tester comes out with moist crumbs. It can take much longer depending on your oven and ingredient temperature. If you like your brownies dense and gooey, bake them until the sides puff, but the center is still fudgy when tested. Note: All ovens are different, so the bake time may vary depending on the oven. An oven thermometer will help determine actual temperature.

MASCARPONE-CHEESECAKE BROWNIES FOUR WAYS

Steps:

• (CLASSIC CHEESECAKE BROWNIES)---Preheat oven to 350'F Grease 9" square baking pan, then line with 14"X8" sheet of parchment paper, overlapping parchment on two sides to form "handles.".
• In a medium bowl, blend 1 cup of Mascarpone Cheese and 1 egg yolk; stir in 3 Tablespoons Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Flour until smooth, set aside.
• In a large, heavy nonstick saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter, 2 oz chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, stirring constantly over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 large eggs until well blended. Stir in 2/3 cup flour until well blended.
• Spread about 1/2 brownie batter into pan. Alternately spoon on Mascarpone and remaining brownie batter. Shake pan back and forth gently on countertop to level the batters. With the tip of a knife, swirl to marble mixtures.
• Bake 30-35 minutes or until brownies just begin to pull from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on rack. Chill before cutting for best results.
• (FOR CHOCOLATE SIN MASCARPONE BROWNIES).-----Add 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips to brownie batter at end of STEP 3; bake and cool as directed. Meanwhile, blend 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 2 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar and 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until smooth. Pour glaze over brownies and chill until set.
• (FOR DOUBLE TOFFEE MASCARPONE BROWNIES)------Add 2 Teaspoons espresso powder to brownie batter with sugar in STEP 3 mix as directed, then stir in 1/2 cup chopped hard toffee candy such as Heath or Werther's. Bake and cool as directed. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche with 3 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar until soft peaks form; stir in another 1/4 cup reserved toffee. Serve immediately over brownies.
• (FOR BOURBON PECAN MASCARPONE BROWNIES).-----Add 2 Tablespoons bourbon and 1/2 cup chopped pecans to brownie batter after STEP 3; bake and cool as directed. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine another 2 Tablespoons bourbon, 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche and 1/2 cup light brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Chill sauce before drizzling over brownies.

MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Stir together cookie crumbs and butter in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup crumb mixture for sprinkling over cheesecake, then pat remainder onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of springform pan (about 1 inch thick). Put pan in a shallow baking pan and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, about 25 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Make filling while crust bakes:
• Beat cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and salt and mix at low speed until combined. Pour into cooled crust and bake until cake is set and puffed around edge but still trembles slightly when pan is shaken gently, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly in springform pan on rack, about 20 minutes. (Cheesecake will continue to set as it cools.) Leave oven on.
• Make topping:
• Stir together sour cream, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and spoon over cheesecake, spreading gently and evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge.
• Bake cheesecake until topping is set, about 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge to help prevent cracking. Sprinkle top with reserved crumbs and cool completely in pan on rack, then chill, loosely covered, at least 8 hours.

CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and line with parchment. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. In the top of a barely simmering double boiler, melt together chocolate and butter. Remove from heat.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together 3 eggs and 1 cup sugar on high speed until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On low speed, add reserved chocolate mixture and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. When combined, add flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. Set aside.
• In the clean bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together mascarpone cheese, remaining eggs and yolks, remaining sugar, and remaining vanilla on medium speed, until smooth. Pour over chocolate mixture. Bake until cheese mixture is golden and set, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into about 60 1-by-1 1/2-inch pieces.