One Thing Leads to Another: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake Swirl Brownies . . .

Just as night leads to day, so Thanksgiving led me to this recipe. Thanksgiving? Yes, that's right. We spent Thanksgiving afternoon and evening with my husband's family (my mom- and dad-in-law Nancy and Joe, along with my two brothers-in-law, Ben and Chris). We got there around 3pm, and preparations for the feast were well underway with several loose ends still to tie up. Nancy was in her element in the kitchen, juggling the cooking of at least six tasty items, while urging on her overworked oven. More hearty and delicious meals have emerged from that oven than you could shake a stick at, and this was sure to be another.

The pause before eating was welcome, as it gave us all a chance to catch-up and chit-chat without any urgent imperative to rush. My two sons, Nathan and Charlie, took the opportunity to explore the patch of woods that surround much of Nancy and Joe's home. I sat inside, near the huge back window right next to the dining room table. Before long, two quiet deer came out in the open and peered curiously toward the house. The grayish-beige of their autumn coats let them move about, chameleon-like, among the trees and brush.

It was a classic Thanksgiving afternoon in Michigan . . . overcast, appropriately quite chilly, and filled with the sights and scents that evoke an endless stream of memories, and a warm sense of holiday anticipation.

Now, Nancy and Joe have always enjoyed cooking and they appreciate interesting, well prepared food made from scratch (my kind of in-laws). Along with that, they love to read. Put the two together and what you have is the perennial likelihood that there will never be a dearth of scintillating reading material laying about--reading material not unlike the January '09 issue of bon appetit magazine, which I picked up in their living room during that pleasant lull before dinner. It is that issue of bon appetit that gives us today's recipe.

Good enough to eat . . .

In the months that I've had this blog, I realize I've never once posted a recipe for a typical brownie. Well, that's not going to change here because this particular brownie is anything but typical. It's better than typical. Of course, formulas for brownies with a cheesecake element are a dime a dozen, but I decided this one would be worth a try because of what it distinctly didn't promise. Clearly, it wasn't a recipe for a goo-filled, hyper-sweet, chock-full-of-stuff kind of brownie. In fact, the presence of bittersweet chocolate and the absence of any other type of chocolate was the determining factor that drew me in. That, paired with the use of natural peanut butter (well, "natural" to the extent that it doesn't contain added sugar--and thus excess sweetness) told me that this isn't your kid's brownie. Oh, older kids will probably like these. Both of mine do, but they've become pretty discerning about homemade baked goods, much to my amusement and delight. I don't think, though, that these brownies were conceived with kids' taste preferences in mind.

So, enough philosophizing and meandering and pondering--down to brass tacks. What did I change in the recipe? I altered only a few minor aspects. I increased the amount of flour from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup because I'm not really crazy about super-gooey, almost-no-flour, chocolate desserts (this was a good decision, trust me). I baked the brownies in an 8" x 8" pan because I don't own a 9"x9" pan (and who does own one in that non-standard size anyway?). I didn't use parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, but just used baking spray in the pan (worked out perfectly). Also, I decided to drizzle chocolate across the top of the unsliced brownies because I could tell my "swirls" weren't going to be evident; I took matters into my own hands. Just gotta do that sometimes, you know? Oh, and I took modest but meaninful liberties with the wording of the instructions, as always.


Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8" x 8" baking pan with baking spray, or line pan fully with parchment.

For the brownie layer:

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used two Ghirardelli's 62% bittersweet bars)
1/2 unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, large
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup All Purpose flour (I used bleached)
1/4 tsp. salt

For the cheesecake layer:

One 8 oz. package full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup creamy (smooth) natural peanut butter (made with only peanuts and salt; I used Trader Joe's)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated
2 eggs, large
2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. All Purpose flour
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

To prepare the brownie layer:

In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the chocolate and butter until smooth; remove from heat and cool the mixture for 10 minutes.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl on medium speed until very fluffy, about 3 minutes.


Beat in chocolate mixture on low speed, then beat in flour and salt.


Spread batter in pan. Set aside.



To prepare the cheesecake layer:

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth.

Gradually add in the sugar, still on medium speed, beating until fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time.


Beat in the cream, then the flour.



Transfer 1/3 cup of the cheesecake batter to a small bowl and reserve.


Spread the remaining cheesecake batter over the brownie layer.


Place the 2 oz. of chopped chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on low power in 10-second intervals until chocolate begins to melt, then stir until smooth. Mix the melted chocolate into the reserved 1/3 cup cheesecake batter.

Drop the chocolate batter by heaping teaspoonfuls atop the cheesecake layer. Using a thin stick like a chopstick or wooden skewer, swirl the chocolate batter in a figure-eight pattern through the white cheesecake layer. (When I tried to do this, my chocolate cooled and become thickened when it hit the batter, so it wouldn't let me do the cute figure-eight design with my skewer; that's what inspired me to drizzle chocolate on the top of the brownies and I'm glad I did!)

Bake the brownies until the edges of the cheesecake layer are puffed and the center is set, about 35 minutes or so.

Cool the brownies in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Carefully invert them onto the rack, then immediately invert them back onto another rack.

Let them cool further or force-cool them, uncovered, in the fridge or in even the freezer for maybe 15 minutes.

If you want to drizzle chocolate on them, do it now, before the bars are truly cold. Melt a couple of ounces of dark or semisweet chocolate; while it's still a bit warm, drizzle it over the bars using a spoon.

Let the chocolate set before you cut, cover, and store the bars.

To store them, keep them in the fridge (covered), or well packaged and placed in the freezer.

They keep really well. You could make some today and, if promptly frozen, I'm sure they'd still be perfectly good on Christmas day. They're good eaten cold or at room temperature, and they just cry out for a fresh cup of coffee!


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Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars, and the Uninvited Guest . . .

I'd been working in the kitchen most of the morning, then passing in and out of the kitchen periodically throughout the afternoon. I can't be sure exactly when it happened . . . all I know is that it must have occurred with lightning speed. "It" being the creation of a sizable hole in my kitchen window screen. The culprit? It could only have been a ferocious, peanut-butter lusting tamiasciurus hudsonicus -- a ravenous red squirrel!

I see them on a regular basis, peering in, on days when I'm baking with the window opened. A quick swat of the screen, though, has always been enough to disperse the furry fellows . . . but apparently not enough to sway this guy. Doubtless it was a male, and a fine brawny specimen at that, I'd wager. Obviously emboldened by the rapturous scent of my peanut butter & jelly bars cooling on the counter, he made the split-second decision to break in, and so he set to work with his razor-sharp teeth. If I weren't feeling completely merciless, you might very well hear me utter some empathetic drivel like, "Oh, who can blame him? He's just doing what squirrels do naturally . . . afterall, those cookie bars are profoundly irresistible." Hmmm . . .

"Well, m'aam, southeastern Michigan's just full of 'em . . . "

Here's how the pest control company Critter Catchers Inc., according to their website, describes our furry friend, ". . . the most prominent [squirrel] species, that chews holes in roof eves to gain access to a comfortable attic or wall in Oakland County homes." Oh great. My home resides in Oakland County, and I can just imagine what Mr. Red Squirrel has in store for us next. I shudder to think.

My advice to Critter Catchers? They should revise their dossier on tamiasciurus hudsonicus, and update their description of the varmint to read as follows: ". . . the most prominent species, that chews holes in roof eves to gain access to a comfortable attic or wall in Oakland County homes . . . this creature will stop at nothing in attempting to gain access to a freshly baked pan of peanut-butter & jelly bars, cooling on a kitchen counter. Residents should be vigilant and be prepared to take all necessary measures."

We never laid eyes on each other . . .

Miraculously, though the hole in the window screen was certainly big enough to admit a housecat, it doesn't appear--based on my thorough and exhaustive investigation--that the squirrel actually gained full admittance. My guess is that my approaching footsteps scared him away just as he was about to set foot into the kitchen. He clearly didn't progress beyond the window sill. The peanut butter & jelly bars were blessedly undisturbed and, as you can imagine, I examined them with the human visual-equivalent of an electron microscope before coming to this conclusion.

Famous last words . . .

Here's a final message for you squirrels out there: Don't worry, I don't advocate vigilante justice . . . but in this case I'm just not opposed to it. So get this straight--if you're a wild creature, I must insist that you keep your fuzzy carcass OUT OF MY HOUSE!

End of conversation.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

These PB&J bars really are irresistible. I just wish I could resist them. They're a Martha Stewart recipe, from her cookie book that came out about a year ago. The only aspects of the recipe that I altered were to include three flavors of jam in one pan (I used strawberry, apricot, and seedless raspberry), and to use honey-roasted peanuts instead of plain salted peanuts. Those small adjustments worked spectacularly well. I'd definitely make these again, the same way.

(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" x 13" pan, and line it with parchment paper in both directions (length and width). Butter the parchment and dust with flour.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups All Purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, large
2 and 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (I used Jif brand. It works really well in cookies/bars.)
1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups of your favorite jam (I used 1/2 cup each of strawberry, apricot, and seedless raspberry--my family's three favorites)
1 cup honey-roasted peanuts (or regular salted peanuts)

In the bowl of a mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy--about 2 minutes.

With the mixer still running, add in the eggs and peanut butter. Mix for about 2 minutes, until combined.


Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.


Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, and beat on low speed until well combined. Add in the vanilla extract. The dough will be quite thick.


Transfer two-thirds of the mixture to your prepared pan. Spread the dough out evenly and gently but firmly press it down so it's of relatively even thickness all over.


Using a spatula, spread the first half-cup of jam onto one third of the dough, then do the same with the other jams until the whole pan of dough is completely covered.


Crumble the remaining dough, that you'd set aside, evenly over the top of the jam. Over that, evenly sprinkle all of the chopped nuts.


Bake until golden, for 45 to 60 minutes. If the bars are browning too quickly at any point, cover them lightly with foil. Cool them in the pan on a rack. When they're cool, run a knife around the edges of the pan, and refrigerate the whole thing, uncovered, for about one to two hours. Lift the chilled bars out of the pan by lifting the parchment sheets up. Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into small squares, about 1.5" to 2" in size. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes about three-dozen bars.

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