TWD: Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Brownie's anyone? I know, I've been absent. Way absent. I plan on giving you an explanation for all of it, when the time is right.

For now, its TWD, and its Espresso Cheesecake Swirl Brownies, in my case, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Swirl Brownies!

These were quite easy to whip up. When I think cheesecake anything, I think 'complicated'. But these really werent. In fact, I didnt make them until Tuesday. Yes, Tuesday.

The brownie part was uneventful, easy typical brownie mix. I did take notice that there was not as much butter, chocolate, and sugar I am used to. When I let the batter sit while I made the cheesecake portion, it thickened up quite a bit.

While I am not a huge fan of cheesecake, watching this mixture puff up with its creaminess made me want to eat the batter right out of the bowl. Somehow, I restrained myself. I did make some alterations from the original recipe: I added 1/2 of a vanilla bean, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla instead of the espresso.

Overall, these were easy, and looked absolutely amazing. Taste wise, I can't say I was blown away. The brownie part was a bit dry. However, I must say the cheesecake portion was rather tasty! I may have to try these with a different brownie mixture next time!

I've got some things coming so stay tuned, including more brownies. 'Ta-die-for-brownies" to be exact.

TWD: Brownie Buttons

Yes, I am still here. ;)

I think today has been the most I have baked/cooked in one day in a long time. (And it was only brownie buttons and zuccini carrot bread!

What I loved about these brownies is that they were quick. It's not like I can't spare the time for elaborate desserts, I can. But mid-summer when its 95 degrees and humid I just dont want to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen over a hot stove!

These brownies weren't bad. They are crunchy on the outside and a tad firm in the center for my taste (I like my brownies gooey and fudgy). I didnt add the orange zest or the white chocolate to the top. I didnt feel like an orange chocolate dessert today, nor do I really care for white chocolate. I will say I think I over baked them a tad, which is never good for a brownie. this could have contributed to the lack of gooey texture. Im thinking my mini muffin pan from Williams Sonoma is bigger than average because a few tablespoons of batter didnt fill the cups 3/4 full.

These little bites are perfect for on the go with little fuss involved (including cutting). Just remember to keep an eye on them. They cook up fast!

Thank you Jayma from Two Scientists in the Kitchen for hosting this week. For the recipe--head over to her page!

TWD: Katherine Hepburn Brownies and Cafe Coco's 100th POST!

Wow, I cannot believe I have already reached my 100th post! I cannot think of a better way to ring it in other than TWD and Brownies!

I was really excited about this week’s TWD Katherine Hepburn Brownies. I have been on a brownie crave for over a month and have not made any because of the abundance of desserts hanging around my house. So I really had an excuse…

These brownies were extremely easy to make and came together really quickly, it’s a shame I hadn’t made these earlier. I left out a few things and made some changes. First, I left out the walnuts because one I’m not a ‘nut in my brownie’ kind of girl, and two, I have 3 people in my life with nut/walnut allergies. All of which would possibly be eating these. I left the cinnamon. I love cinnamon; I just don’t like it with chocolate. And finally, I used instant espresso instead of instant coffee granules and then cut that back to ½ teaspoon per some of the other baker’s comments. Hmmm…are these still Dorie’s brownies?

Regardless, these brownies, although very thin, were quite spectacular. I liked how gooey and chewy they were and they certainly are rich so a small piece is very satisfying. I used good quality chocolate disks from Callabaut, and my prized Valrhona cocoa to top off the richness. I used a 9 inch square metal pan, which was a bit large so my brownies were even thinner. I added 5 minutes to the cooking time since a few of the other bakers mentioned their brownies were a bit too gooey at 30 minutes. They came out of the pan, no problem.



I will say, that there is a strong possibility that food photography is NOT in my future by the looks of the brownie cuts. I was in a bit of a hurry to cut these…and getting out a ruler just wasn’t going to fit into my patience. I will just call these brownies, rustic and I assure you this did not affect the taste whatsoever.

I imagined what it would be like to be lucky enough to be sitting in Katherine Hepburn’s kitchen—drinking tea and eating brownies….and talking about life. I’d imagine I would probably mention the time I watched ‘On Golden Pond’ in high school psychology class and how I secretly cried towards the end and blamed it on an eye lash caught in my eye. But then again, I might have been completely star struck and just nodded stupidly to all of her helpful advice.



I would definitely make these again! Thank you Lisa from Surviving Oz for hosting this week. So be sure to check out Lisa’s site if you would like the recipe! You can also check out how the other bakers did this week by checking out TWD's blogroll. TWD is also accepting new members…so if you would like to bake with us on Tuesdays…send an email to tuesdayswithdorie AT gmail.com. Don’t forget to pick up Dorie Greenspan’s book “Baking From My Home to Yours”.


Wondering why in the world my brownie looks like I stuck my finger in the middle? Well this is the King Arthur fool proof brownie testing method for 'doneness'. Check it out on the site...its the first time I was able to test my brownies properly.