Brownies and Caramel Cheesecake Trifle

We had company over for Eid this time and I decided to make this dessert as I wanted something easy but eye catching. This trifle is a decadent mix of cheesecake and brownies that is easy to make and serves a crowd. This is a rich dessert so a little goes a long way. There are three different layers at play here: Brownies, Chocolate pudding and Caramel cheesecake (no bake). You can go all out and make everything from scratch (brownies, pudding and caramel) but I had to save my sanity  (on account that I was cooking Prawn Biryani, Rara mutton, Pineapple Upside Cake and Seven Layer Bars) and decided to use the packaged stuff. Either way, this turned out great and at the end of the night we had an empty trifle bowl. 

P.S: My cousins said it tasted like the Cheesecake Factory's 30th anniversary cheesecake. Hurray!

Recipe 

Ingredients

1 Pan Brownies (9x13) Cut into 2 inch cubes

200 Grams Cream Cheese

1/2 Cup Caramel

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Packet Instant Chocolate Pudding (e.g. Jello or Dr. Oetkers) or 2 Cups homemade chocolate pudding

2 Cups Chilled Milk (If using homemade pudding omit this)

Method

Prepare the Layers

1. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and keep aside.

2. Place the chocolate pudding mix in a medium bowl and add the 2 Cups milk. Whisk and prepare according to package directions.

3. Add one cup of the whipped cream and mix to combine. Keep aside till needed.

4. In a separate bowl, place the cream cheese and beat till fluffy. Add all but two tablespoons of the caramel and mix well.

5. Add the remaining whipped cream and beat till combined. 

Assemble The Trifle

1. In a trifle bowl, add half the chocolate pudding mixture and spread evenly at the bottom. Then add half the brownies. Lastly, add half the cheesecake mix and level it. Repeat all layers.

2. Finish with a drizzle of the two tablespoon caramel.

3. Place in fridge for minimum of 2 hours. Serve Chilled.

Happy Eating!

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

 

This year Latif wanted me to make Brownies for his birthday, to which my reaction was Meh.. I mean, I do love a good brownie, but when its for your birthday I want to make something that is spectacular. So I started hunting for a dessert that would incorporate brownies and hit two birds with one stone. This Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake hits the spot in all the right places. It is rich, creamy and truly spectacular. Oh and I also added a salted caramel drizzle just for kicks.

 

Even though there are four parts to this cheesecake it all comes together fairly easily.  I made the brownies one night before and chilled them in the fridge for easier cutting. The brownie recipe makes a lot so I would suggest to make just half the recipe (unless you want extra for snacking or some other recipe).
 

 

 

I did double the crust for my cheesecake but found it a bit overwhelming. With the brownies and the ganache already so rich, the Oreo crust was a bit too much for me and some of the tasters (Latif loved it as is). Next time I would try plain chocolate wafers, or just use the original quantity.

 

I also completely screwed up while making the ganache. Instead of melting the butter and cream I melted the butter with the chocolate. I still ploughed on and added warm cream to the mixture and it turned out beautifully. So you don't really need to go through a food processor and can make the ganache the old fashioned way.

Recipe Source - Given as is from Smitten Kitchen with some changes of my own.

Ingredients

For the Brownies
113 Grams Dark Chocolate (I used 70%)
 170 Gms Unsalted Butter
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1. Preheat oven to 175 Degrees C (350°F). Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

4. Cool brownies, then cut them into 3/4- to 1-inch squares for use in the cheesecake. You will need only 2 Cups for the cheesecake. Add cubes to cake batter as directed below.

For The Crumb Crust
141 Grams Oreo Cookies or Chocolate Wafers (Finely Ground)
5 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (Melted)
1/3 Cup Castor Sugar (I used granulated and I could feel the sugar in my mouth even after baking)
1/8 Tsp Salt

Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

For the Cheesecake
680 Grams (or 24 ounce) Cream Cheese (Softened)
4 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Brownie Cubes (from recipe above)

1. Make crumb crust as directed above for 24-centimeter cheesecake. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Make filling and bake cake: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

3. Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan.(Very important - I used a cookie sheet with sides - a lot of the butter from the crust seeped out on the pan)

4. Bake in middle of oven for 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.

5. When completely cool, top with following glaze.

For The Ganache Glaze
85 Gms (3 ounces) Semisweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
57 Gms (2 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
4 Tbsp Icing Sugar.

1. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream and butter to simmer and pour over the chocolate.

2. Let it stand for 1 minute, then stir well till chocolate is completely melted.

3. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir until smooth. Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Chill cheesecake in fridge for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

 

Happy Eating!!

Frozen Brownie Sundae Cake

Summer is here in full force and we need lots of ice cream to cool down. I made this brownie sundae for dessert at our monthly potluck. The recipe for the brownie and sauce is amazing and I loved both the elements. Instead of making the recipe as given I made it as a cake in a spring form pan. I also made mini sundaes which are perfect to serve at a dinner party.

Recipe Source - Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients
One 9 inch round layer of Brownies (I used half of this recipe)
1/2 Litre Vanilla Ice Cream (Keep outside for 5 minutes before using)
1/2 Litre Strawberry Ice Cream (Keep outside for 5 minutes before using)
1/2 Cup Salted Peanuts (Chopped)
Chocolate Sauce for topping (Recipe below)
Maraschino Cherries for Decorating
One 9 inch spring form pan

For The Chocolate Sauce
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Evaporated Milk or Heavy Cream
1/3 Cup Semi sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence

Method

1. Line the spring form pan with plastic wrap and place the brownie layer inside.

2. Put the vanilla ice cream in an even layer and place in freezer till ice cream is firm.

3. Remove from fridge and put the strawberry ice cream. Keep in freezer till ice cream is firm (covered, at least 2 hours)

4. Prepare the Sauce - Add all ingredients except vanilla to a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium high heat. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring constantly till mixture becomes thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

5. Cool the sauce for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the cake from the freezer and pour the sauce over the ice cream.

7. Top with chopped peanuts and decorate with the cherries. Cover with plastic wrap and return to freezer until ready to serve.

8. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Happy Eating!!

Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies

There is a great rift among people in the brownie world due to all the different types of brownies out there. Fudgy, Cakey, with nuts, without nuts, plain chocolate ones, peanut butter ones, cream cheese and on and on. Everyone has their own favorite recipe and when I started searching for a recipe that I would love I must have browsed a 100 different  ones with each blogger claiming that their version is the best. What is a girl to do in such a case? I just went with my instincts  and picked the Triple Chocolate Brownies from Annie's Eats and I sure picked a winner!

These are everything that I love in a brownie. I would describe my version as fudgy and chocolatey. (I have tried Ina's Outrageous Brownies before and they were too fudgy for me). These rose nicely in the pan even without any leaveners and had a great chocolate flavor. I did not use too much of unsweetened chocolate as I am not a fan of the flavor and made these with half dark and half milk chocolate. This ratio was perfect for me. I made half a pan with walnuts and half without and I loved both the versions. I can't wait to try this recipe with more mix ins in the future.

Recipe Source - Slightly Adapted from Baking Illustrated via Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Makes one 8X8 Pan of brownies.

100 Gms (approx 3.5 oz)  Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa) (Chopped)
100 Gms (approx 3.5 oz) Milk Chocolate (Chopped)
8 Tbsp (113.4 Gms) Unsalted Butter (Cut into Quarters)
3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
3 Large Eggs
1 1/4 Cups (8¾ oz.) Sugar
2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup (5 oz.) All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Chopped Toasted Walnuts (Optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175° C (350° F) and line an 8 inch square baking dish (I used a 10X6 inch rectangle) with foil (Use extra foil so that it hangs out from two sides). Grease lightly and set aside.
2. Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave proof bowl and melt in the microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring after each time till completely melted and smooth. (You can also use the double boiler method on the stove). Add the cocoa powder and whisk till combined. Keep aside to cool

3. Mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl for 15 seconds.
4. Pour in the warm melted chocolate mixture and mix.
5. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add the walnuts if using.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to make an even layer. Place in the middle tray of your oven and bake until slightly risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes. 
7. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.  

8. Pull the overhanging foil and remove the brownies from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and cut as desired.  Store in an air-tight container.  

Happy Eating!!

Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies

After making the Tiramisu I had some mascarpone cheese leftover and had no clue what to do with it. So I googled and came across this recipe. I love chocolate and brownies are one of my favorite treats. I was really excited to make these as I had not made brownies in a long time and luckily had all the ingredients on hand. These are supposed to be really, really rich and have a ganache topping which I skipped as I didn’t have enough chocolate. After reading all the reviews on various different blogs (same recipe) I was expecting something great. Unfortunately these did not meet my expectations and I was a bit disappointed. I think I did something wrong coz so many people said that these were the best brownies. Perhaps the ganache was the star of the show.

Luckily I had halved the recipe so don’t have to many to worry about! I froze half of them to mix and match and make some other dessert. Latif is eating the rest of them. One by one. When I am not looking.

Update - Ok, I had these today and they taste much, much better. The texture seems different , I dont know how and why. Maybe because I had eaten them when they were warm. Ofcourse I still did'nt find them amazing but am much happier now :) Do try making them with the ganache if you have any leftover mascarpone.