Mascarpone Brownies

I've heard many, many raves about this recipe. Mascarpone in brownies?!? Unheard of (or at least for me)! As you know I'm not much of a brownie fan, but when I do happen to eat brownies I like 'em chewy rather than cake-y. These brownies were super moist and light.

The chocolate flavor was definitely present but not overwhelmingly so. Though these weren't chewy and thick they were unique because they were so moist, almost as if it had been soaked in some kind of syrup like a tres leches cake. If you are a brownie lover, this recipe is a must try. It's unique and probably like any other brownie you've ever tried.

Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies

Printable Recipe

For the brownies:

1 cup unsalted butter

3 oz. semisweet chocolate

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

For the ganache:

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 tbsn. whipping cream

3 tbsn. unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter a 8-inch square cake pan and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil. In a mixing bowl, add the chopped chocolate, then pour the melted butter on top and let stand for 30 seconds, stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder, then with a wooden spoon beat in the mascarpone, eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place on cooling rack and let cool completely. For the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan bring the cream and butter to just below boiling over medium heat. Pour the mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds then stir until smooth. Pour over the brownies and spread evenly but do not cut into the brownies until the ganache has firmed up. Enjoy!

The "Best" Made Even Better.

I personally don't really love love love brownies like others do. I don't know why... I don't have that gene (and I know it's strange). That gene is missing along with the "love of watermelon" gene. I feel like I am the only person in the world to not love watermelon, but oh well! 

On to these brownies... wow. For someone who doesn't really love brownies, these were the ones to convert me. Honestly, add Ferrero Rocher to anything and I'm a happy camper! But these also had a nice chewy texture which I loved. Chocolate-y and rich!

The Best Fudge & Ferrero Rocher Brownies Ever

Yields: 9 large brownies

Original recipe from Cooking On The Side, which can be found here.

Printable Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter

2 cups of sugar (original recipe calls for 2 1/4)

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups of Dutch-process cocoa

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tbsn. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

12 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, chopped (original recipe calls for 2 cups of chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x13" pan with butter then line with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium saucepan over low heat melt the butter. Add the sugar and mix to combine. Continue heating until mixture is hot and looks shiny, but not bubbling. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl then stir in the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Mix until combined then add the eggs, one at a time. Once combined, slowly stir in the flour and chopped Ferrero Rocher (or chocolate chips) until well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pan and then allow them to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!

Gianduja Brownie Cheesecakes

B loves nuts. I love baking. Therefore anything I bake for him needs to be filled with nuts... or meat (of course). So to celebrate our one year anniversary I decided to make these wonderful brownie cheesecake concoctions. I've had this Gianduja Brownie recipe from Bake or Break bookmarked for a while, so I decided to dust it off and bring it to life, with my own spin of course!

To make them even more delicious, I decided to add a layer of cheesecake to the top. All I can say is... wow! The brownie portion was super moist and the cheesecake was tangy and delicious. The only problem was that they came out kind of ugly and browned. But I quickly fixed that with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of melted chocolate!

Gianduja Brownie Cheesecakes

Yields: 12 Mini Cheesecakes

Slightly adapted from Bake or Break

For the brownie:

1 1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped and lightly toasted

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

3 oz. milk chocolate

1/2 cup of unsalted butter

1/4 cup Nutella

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

For the cheesecake:

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, at room temperature

2/3 cup of sugar

2 large egg yolks

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners (you could also use a mini cheesecake pan), set aside. Heat the butter and chocolates over medium high heat in a saucepan, whisking constantly until completely melted. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine the Nutella, sugar, eggs, salt, and baking powder until well combined. Slowly add the hot chocolate mixture in small batches until well incorporated. Next, whisk in the baking powder, flour, and chopped hazelnuts until well combined. Fill the cupcake liners 1/3 full with the brownie mixture, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients needed for the cheesecake and whisk until smooth. Layer on top of the brownie batter until the cups are 2/3 full. Tap against the counter to make sure it is well settled in the pan. Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is set, about 15 - 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Enjoy!