Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Brownies

For all your New Year's dieters, beware! I came across a similar recipe and immediately made it for my husband (well, it was for me too, but I said it was a special treat for him...I'm a good wife that way.). It's deliciously sinful and decadent....peanut butter....cream cheese....BROWNIES!! These are truly mouthwatering and go great with a tall glass of cold milk. Hey...that's getting your calcium, right?

This was the first time that I'd ever made my own brownies rather than using the box (they are just so darn convenient!) but I am glad I did. Adding the cream cheese to the brownies AND to the topping really made this rich, creamy, and worth the 9 billion calories :) (Can you tell I am anti-diet resolutions??)

Ok, these really aren't THAT bad for you...go on, try them...you know you want to!

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Brownies

Brownies:
14 T. butter
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C. dark chocolate cocoa powder
2 C. sugar
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
1 C. flour


Peanut Butter Cream Cheese swirl:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2/3 C. creamy peanut butter
6 T. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13X9 pan with foil or parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick spray.

To make the brownie batter, melt together the butter and chocolate in a large bowl. Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Add the flour and whisk until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared dish.


To make the peanut butter swirl, combine the cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Blend in the egg and vanilla.

Drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter mixture over the brownie batter, creating a cobblestone appearance. Use a knife of skewer to gently swirl the peanut butter mixture and brownie batter.


Bake 30-35 minutes or until the center is just set. Let cool at room temperature. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to slice and serve. Enjoy!