Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies: Holiday Recipe #4

Fridays are crazy days for me. I just have more going on than I do on other days. I teach a couple of hours, I have my church small group in the evening, and I also like to cook for my small group something special. (or more often one of my random experiments.) This Friday was no different as I was teaching, had to help my friend make Kimchee Burgers so that she could bring it to HER church small group (huge hit by the way) and I still needed to make dessert for our small group meeting/dinner. I called my leader and said, "Would you rather have apple-pear crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or some weird pumpkin brownie cheesecake thing that I have in my head?"

"The pumpkin brownie cheesecake thing sounds good," she replied.

I clarified, "This is not a recipe that exists. This is just in my head and I think it would taste good."

"It sounds awesome. Bring it."

"But what if I am wrong? What if it tastes bad?" I worried.

"Don't worry. It sounds good already," she reassured me.

Which left me staring off into space trying to figure out exactly HOW I was going to make this dish that existed only in my head.

I decided I would just make my standard brownie, which is from the back of a Baker's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Squares Box and make up my own cheesecake topping. The result? Something pretty darn good, I have to say myself. Friend CY loves cheesecake and pumpkin so much she wouldn't even wait for it to cool and settle - she insisted on eating it right from the oven. I think it tastes better cold as you get this creamy cheesecake on top of a chewy brownie base. All in all a great recipe - especially for those of you who love pumpkin.

And I have to say, the brownie was the perfect ending to a very very hectic day.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
Serves 15-20 (depending on how big of pieces people have)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 15 oz can pumpkin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Brownie Base (from the inside of Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate box)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour

Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on low until smooth and creamy. Add cream until fully incorporated. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Add eggs one and a time, beating until smooth. Add vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Remove 1 cup of cheesecake mixture and set aside. (this will be used to swirl with the pumpkin later.)

To the remaining cheesecake mixture in the mixing bowl add 1 can pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Beat until smooth.

Brownie Layer
Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add flour and mix.

Assembly
Preheat oven to 350.

Line a 9X13 inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. If using foil, grease foil well.

Pour brownie mixture on the bottom. On top add the pumpkin cheese cake mixture. Add blobs of the reserved plain cheesecake mixture. With a knife, swirl the pumpkin cheesecake and plain cheesecake mixture together. Bake for 50 minutes, or until cheesecake layer is puffy and lightly golden. Allow to cool and then refrigerate. (if you can wait that long.)

Printable recipe

This and a cup of decaf coffee is the perfect late night treat.

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