Bourbon-Cream Cheese Brownies from Southern Living Magazine, December 2011

I have to explain myself again, don’t I? Every time chocolate appears I can feel you grinning. I can hear the snickers. Then the comments come. About how I’m turning to the dark side. How all this baking with chocolate is proof that I’m beginning to like it.

Nope.

There are two reasons that you see chocolate goodies appear here sometimes. Ok, today there are four, but usually there are two. The first is that Dudette and Hubby enjoy the stuff. It would be pretty unfair for me to make pumpkin pie, cheesecake and oatmeal raisin cookies all the time, now wouldn’t it?

The second reason is that if I bake something chocolate, I won’t eat it. If you saw my hips, you’d know that it’s a win/win situation. I’m not like one those people who can bake something delicious and then only have one small bite to taste it. If it tastes good, I want to eat it. A lot of it. So, I bake with chocolate.

In case you’re curious, reasons three and four for my making this recipe are this; number three is that it’s Christmas and every three out of four recipes includes chocolate so if I don’t do at least a few things with it, there won’t be any baking at all. Number four is that the recipe includes bourbon. I love cooking with alcohol. Bourbon cream cheese brownies sound decadent, even to me.

The Process
I have to admit that they do make this one easy, and I love easy. I melted squares of chocolate (you could use unsweetened chocolate chips if you wanted to) with butter in the microwave, stirring every once in a while, until it was melted. Easy.

Then I added brown and granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Really easy.  That’s it for the brownie part. Half of the batter got poured in a prepared pan and the rest waited.

To make the cream cheese layer, I simply creamed the softened cream cheese for a minute, then added a little flour, sugar, bourbon and an egg. Beat it all up and it’s done. Again, easy.

I spread the cream cheese layer over the brownie batter, then poured the rest of the batter over that and used my finger to swirl it together. If you’re worried about the hygiene of using your finger, use a knife. It wasn’t as though I was going to lick the chocolate batter off, after all.

Bake the brownies, fend off the family while they cool, cut and serve.

The Verdict
Score one for decadent. Score another for incredibly gooey while still being entirely cooked through. Score a third point for having the idea of putting bourbon in cream cheese and sandwiching it in a brownie. I think you get the idea.

Hubby loved these. He loved them while they were baking. He loved them while they were cooling and tested our love by trying to sneak a piece. Luckily I own sharp knives.

They are rich and chocolaty and laced with creamy bourbon flavor. If you like chocolate at all, you will love these. I promise.

What I’d Do Different Next Time
Since it’s Christmas, I bet these would be fantastic with peppermint candy crushed and mixed in with the cream cheese layer. Peppermint Bourbon-Cream Cheese Brownies. Sounds good, huh?

Bourbon-Cream Cheese Brownies - print this recipe
from Southern Living Magazine, December 2011

4 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 large eggs, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

Microwave chocolate squares and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in brown sugar and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Whisk in vanilla, salt, and 1 cup flour. Spread half of batter in prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; add 2 Tbsp. flour and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until blended. Add bourbon and remaining 1 egg, beating until blended.

Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan; top with remaining brownie batter, and swirl together.

Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles. Gently remove foil; cut into squares.

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