Cheesecake Brownies

This is a little different from your regular cheesecake brownies because this recipe uses leftover cheesecake. My sister Trish was kind enough to bring over not one – but two – homemade cheesecakes to my house on thanksgiving. What do you do with all that cheesecake? Well, turns out that you can eat it, hand it out as a nice prize when you see people, freeze it for later, and/or make cheesecake brownies.

The best way to get your hands on the some of the best cheesecake you’ll ever eat, is to contact Trish at cookplantmeditate@gmail.com. She’ll whip up her top-secret recipe New York style recipe cheesecake then carefully package and ship a decadent New York style cheesecake to just about anywhere in the US. It’s a FIVE POUND cheesecake made with farm fresh eggs, real sugar, graham cracker crust, high quality cream cheese, real vanilla bean and it is only $40. If you don’t want to wait for the master to make you the best cheesecake ever, then you can always make your own using one of Trish’s not-so-secret cheesecake recipes.

For fudge brownies, use semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate bars; use a chocolate containing at least 65% cacao for dark chocolate brownies.

This is my recipe for Fudge or Dark Chocolate Brownies with leftover cheesecake added.
8 ounces unsalted butter
10 ounces chocolate
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons brewed coffee (optional)
1 cup flour
2-3 thick slices cheesecake – frozen (see instructions below)

For the brownie batter:
Mix all ingredients by hand with a spoon or spatula. An electric mixer will over-mix brownies. Stir enough to fully incorporate each ingredient, but do not over-mix.
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Melt in microwave, cooking 30 seconds at a time then stirring, until smooth. Or, place in a pan on the stove top over low heat, stirring frequently.
2. Add sugar, salt, vanilla and coffee. Stir.
3. Add eggs and fully incorporate.
4. Add half the flour and fold in with a spatula.
5. Add the other half of the flour and fully incorporate.

Prepare a 9×13 cake pan with either parchment paper covered in butter or prepare the pan with butter and flour.

Completely freeze cheesecake slices. When frozen, use a very sharp knife to cut through the frozen cheesecake. Cut it into small chunks. Place chunks into prepared brownie pan and place the pan in the freezer.