Grilled brownies anyone?

I made some cream cheese brownies prior starting this blog. They turned out too fudgy and thick for my liking. Since then, I have been searching for another great cream cheese brownie recipe to try. I found one on one of my favourite sites Smitten Kitchen and decided to work on it. Everything was groovy at first. Beat cream cheese till smooth? Check. Melt chocolate and butter together? Check. Fold in flour quickly? Check. BUT………… I forgot that I was grilling garlic bread before this, and my oven was still on grill mode. I only found out about this horrible mistake 5 minutes before the brownies were supposed to be done. ARGH! There were no telltale signs as the brownie still rose beautifully. There were some cracks though, but I did not think too much about them.

I quickly changed the modes and let the brownies cook for another 10 minutes. Thank god the situation could be salvaged. In fact, they were good. Obscenely good. Which makes me wonder, how they would be like when they were done correctly. Also, I think I will add 2 oz more cream cheese in future. Not sure how many people can resist these brownies, with their crackly tops and fudgy insides. As I cut them up into 1 1/2 inch squares, I kept popping them into my mouth. One for the box, one for me, one for me, one for the box, maybe another for me… Someone take them away from me!!!!!!!

Cream Cheese Marbled Brownies
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

For swirl
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

For brownies
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
10 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into six 1-inch pieces
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 165C (325F). Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhand pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width; fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Beat cream cheese and two tablespoons butter in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add 3 tablespoons of sugar and beat until well blended. Beat in egg. Mix in one tablespoon flour. Set mixture aside.

3. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs on at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.

5. Transfer half of batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Pour cream cheese mixture over, then second half of brownie batter. Swirl the batters together decoratively with the tip of a knife. Bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 45 minutes, watching carefully for overcooking. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares and serve. Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.