Marble Brownies

I like pretty things, and this marble brownies look pretty. Not just look pretty but are very tasty as well. They are soft and melt in your mouth and the cream cheese used for the marble effect is orange flavored. You really have to try it to understand. This recipe is one of the many chocolate based recipes in the Golden Book Of Chocolate.

Ingredients:

For the brownies

Semisweet chocolate dark 8 oz

Butter 1/4 cup

Granulated sugar 3/4 cup

Pure vanilla extract 2 tsp

2 Large eggs lightly beaten with 2 cold tbsp of water

All-purpose flour 1/2 cup.

For the cream cheese mixture:

Cream cheese soften 1 cup (1 package, I used light philadelphia cream cheese)

Granulated sugar 1/4 cup

Finely grated orange zest 2 tbsp

Freshly squeezed orange juice 3 tbsp (the juice from a medium orange)

Cornstarch 1 tsp

Large egg 1

Butter and line with parchment paper a 9 inch square pan. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

I usually start with the cream cheese mixture but doesn't really matter witch one you start with.

Beat the cream cheese with the sugar on high speed until creamy.

Add the orange zest, orange juice and cornstarch beat until combined. Add the egg and beat until blended.
For the brownies.

Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double broiler over just simmering water making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Set aside to cool.

When just warm stir in the sugar and vanilla

Stir in the eggs and the flour, mixing with a spoon until combined.
Pour the chocolate mixture in the prepared pan.
With a wooden spoon or a plastic spoon drop table spoons of cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie mixture.

Using a sharp knife with a long blade swirl the mixture, to create the marble effect. There is no rule on how much to swirl around. I like more cream cheese on top so this is how it looks.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are slightly risen and the center is set. The toothpick test doesn't work in this case because the brownies are more wet then your usual mixture.

Cool in the pan completely , cut into squares.

Don't do what I did. Alex (my 5 year old) couldn't wait for the brownies to cool completely so I had to cut them wile still very warm. The cut is not as neat as it should be (but they taste just as good).