Well, one of those months, actually. I made these mid-way through my exams - I had an innate need to make something gluttonous. It was just what I needed on a snowy night after finishing my second of three exams. Something to help me push through to the other side!
Normally, I don't go for brownies that have been dressed up; I like them plain and simple. On that day, though, I wanted to combine my dual craving for chocolate and cheesecake. I don't like chocolate cheesecake very much, so a brownie, the epitome of chocolate, would have to do. And then I threw some ganache on top because I could.
I made these brownies again at the weekend, though I doubled the recipe and forgot to double the sugar so had to throw them out. I then made them a third time, with the correct quantities, and they were equally as delicious as the original batch. I think I got a little over eager with the mixing of the brownie and cheesecake mix - I don't think it helps that the brownie mix is a lot more viscous than the cheesecake one. It doesn't really matter at the end of the day, but you don't get the aesthetically pleasing swirls.
I wanted indulgence, but not super indulgence, so I made them low fat - I'm sorry, give me all the withering looks you want but if I can avoid it I don't use full fat products. I have little self control as it is, so at least I'm not ingesting huge quantities of fat along with my huge quantities of brownie. Honestly, though, I cannot taste the difference. My friend brought in her own brownies the other day and I know she'll have used full fat ingredients, and to me there was no difference in depth of flavour or richness to my own. The recipe is actually a jazzed up version of my Healthy Brownies, so if you want to try lower calorie brownies without the gourmet then take a look at those.
Make these ASAP. You will not regret it!
Melt 200g of the chocolate in a pan over a low heat, then stir in the mayonnaise. Don't be alarmed by the odd consistency that it forms; it'll sort itself out later.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in half of the sugar, then beat in two of the eggs.
Put the flour and cocoa in a bowl and fold the chocolate mixture into it until well combined.
In a second mixing bowl, combine the philadelphia with the remaining sugar and egg, beating well until smooth. Pour into the chocolate mixture and gently fold in until it is still swirled through but it looks like it is well distributed through the batter.
Pour into the brownie tin and bake for 20 mins, then keep checking every 3-5 mins until the top is crispy and a skewer comes out with a small amount of sticky brownie on it. Be very careful not to overcook, otherwise your brownies will be too dry.
Melt the remaining chocolate in a pan with the cream, stir to ensure they are well combined and pour over the brownie. Leave to set before cutting into slices.
I'm entering this into Jen at Blue Kitchen Bakes' Classic French challenge - this month the challenge is to make something with ganache.
I won't have access to the internet from tomorrow until Sunday, so this will have to suffice as a mid-week weekend post. In the mean time, if you need more inspiration for baking low-fat style, take a look at Healthy(ish) Baking.
Cheesecake AND brownies. That sounds like heaven. Fab idea.
wow - I have never used mayo in a cake before! What an amazing recipe!
It works surprisingly well! I saw it on BBC food ages ago. These brownies were seriously good - you'd never guess about the mayo.