Recipe: Joy the Baker's Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies (using raspberry jam)

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE BROWNIES
"In this version of brownie-madness, I'm combining my favorite classic brownie with equally decadent raspberry-infused cream cheese. It's where brownies and cheesecake collide."



FOR THE BROWNIES:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE LAYER:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons raspberry jam
1 large egg
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square pan with butter, line it with parchment paper, and grease and flour the parchment paper. The parchment paper will ensure that the brownies are easy to remove from the pan, but if you don't have any on hand, simply greasing and flouring the pan will suffice.

TO PREPARE THE BROWNIE LAYER:
Bring 2-inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Put the chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl and put the bowl over the simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and let the mixture cool slightly.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk the eggs into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Add the sugar and beat until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir well. Stir in the vanilla. Spread the brownie batter in the prepared pan.

TO PREPARE THE CREAM CHEESE LAYER:
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and thoroughly combined. Add the sugar, jam, and egg and mix well. Stir in the flour and vanilla. Dollop the mixture onto the brownie batter in the pan. Use a butter knife to swirl the cream cheese mixture into the brownies. Press a few fresh raspberries into the top.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes (check after 30 minutes). Let cool completely before slicing and serving. The brownies will keep, wrapped individually and stored in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

Makes 9 brownies
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Adapted from source: Homemade Decadence by Joy the Baker (Joy Wilson)