Recipe: Marbled Brownies with Cherry Cream Filling

Marbled Brownies with Cherry Cream Filling
rec.food.recipes/Johnson/2001
Makes about 16 brownies

Cherry Cream Filling (recipe follows)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Prepare CHERRY CREAM FILLING; set aside.

Heat oven to 350F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

Stir butter and cocoa in small bowl until well blended; cool slightly.

Beat eggs in medium bowl until foamy. Gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating until well blended.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture. Add cocoa mixture; stir until well blended.

Spread half of chocolate batter into prepared pan; cover with cherry filling. Drop spoonfuls of remaining chocolate batter over filling. With knife or spatula, gently swirl chocolate batter into filling for marbled effect.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool; cut into squares. Cover; refrigerate leftover brownies. Bring to room temperature to serve.

Cherry Cream Filling

3 ounces cream cheese, softened,
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained
1 to 2 drops red food color (optional)

Beat cream cheese and sugar in small bowl on medium speed of electric mixer until blended. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract; beat well. (Mixture will be thin.) Stir in cherries and food color, if desired.