Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring (or six drops red food gel)

2/3 cup all purpose flour (use 1 cup at high altitude)

1/4 teaspoon salt (use 1/2 at high altitude)

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (use 1 teaspoon at high altitude)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 8-inch square baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.

 In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave. Put it in 3 seconds at a time until soft enough to stir. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

 In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. 

To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in eight dollops over batter in the pan. Swirl in with a knife or spatula.

 Bake for 35-40 minutes (it could take up between 45 and 50 minutes at high altitude), until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.

 Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the parchment paper to remove the brownies.