Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

You know how most recipes for cream cheese brownies involve a swirl? Not that I'm knocking a swirl - it's usually darn yummy - but this sandwich-style brownie stopped me in my tracks when I was flipping through the August/September Cook's Country. I mean look at the picture from the magazine:A perfect combination of great recipe, amazing food styling, and maybe a little Photoshop since my version looked like this:
But still yummy, still oh-so-yummy. One of the things I love about Test Kitchen magazines and cookbooks is that they explain every step along the way of arriving at the perfect recipe, which usually persuades one that this is, and why it is, a perfect recipe. I was a little ticked that mine wasn't as pretty as the picture, but it tasted like a creamy raspberry chocolate truffle from a very expensive bakery or chocolatier so I can't complain too much.

The recipe's author introduces it with, "Many brownies are raspberry in name only. We asked the berry to earn its keep, no matter how fudgy the brownie."

Could you really ask for more? What they do is add raspberry jam into the brownie batter so that every bite has a fruity depth, then a layer of cheesecake, more raspberry jam, and more brownie on top so the inside fillings have no chance of drying out either in baking or storage.

The E:R (effort-to-result ratio) is shockingly low for this recipe - that means serious gourmet bang for your effort buck, so next time you need something chocolatey and perhaps a bit complex, when taste is way more important than look, go with these. You will LOVE them.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies
Filling:
1 8-ounce pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Brownies:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup raspberry jam, divided
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Prepare filling. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350. Line 8-inch square pan with foil, allowing excess to hang over pan edges. Grease foil. Process cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla in food processor until smooth.

2. Mix batter. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. Microwave butter and chocolate in large bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in 1/4 cup jam and let cool slightly. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla to chocolate mixture, stirring until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until incorporated.

3. Layer filling. Microwave remaining jam until warm, about 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Scrape half of batter into prepared pan. Dollop cream cheese filling over batter and spread into even layer. Dollop warm jam over filling and use knife tip to swirl jam through filling. Spread remaining batter evenly over filling.

4. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean with few dry crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for at least 2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan and cut into squares; serve. Brownies can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 dyas. Makes about 25 (1 1/2 inch) brownies