Blackberry Cheesecake Brownies with Swirl

Ingredients

• 200 g Blackberries (Use half for the sauce and press the remaining berries into the surface later.)
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• 50 g Caster sugar (For the blackberry sauce.)
• 200 g Full-fat cream cheese (Softened cream cheese.)
• 1 tbsp Plain flour (For the cheesecake mixture.)
• 2 tbsp Caster sugar (Ideally use white rather than golden sugar; for the cheesecake mixture.)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (For the cheesecake mixture.)
• 1 Egg white (Reserve the yolk for the brownie batter.)
• 200 g Salted butter
• 300 g Dark chocolate (Roughly chopped; at least 70% cocoa. Use 200 g for melting and fold in the rest later.)
• 3 Eggs (Use 1 additional egg yolk as well.)
• 1 Egg yolk (The yolk reserved from the egg white.)
• 200 g Soft light brown sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (For the brownie batter.)
• 100 g Plain flour (For the brownie batter.)
• 50 g Cocoa powder
• 2 tsp Water (For the blackberry sauce.)
• Salt (A pinch for the brownie batter.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan, Gas Mark 4). Line a 20 cm square brownie tin with baking paper.

2. 2

   Put half of the blackberries in a small saucepan with the cornstarch and caster sugar and mix thoroughly. Add 2 tsp water and cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes. Crush the berries as they cook until they are soft and their juice has reduced to a glossy, thickened sauce.

3. 3

   Push the blackberry sauce through a sieve, discard the seeds and leave the sauce to cool briefly.

4. 4

   Put all the ingredients for the cheesecake mixture—cream cheese, 1 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and the egg white—in a bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth, then set aside.

5. 5

   For the brownie batter, melt the butter and 200 g of the chopped chocolate in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.

6. 6

   Put the 3 eggs, the additional egg yolk, brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer for several minutes until pale, thick and mousse-like. Rub a little of the mixture between your fingertips; if it still feels grainy, continue beating until the sugar has completely dissolved.

7. 7

   Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the egg mixture. Pour in the cooled chocolate and butter mixture and gently fold everything together with a spatula until no pockets of flour or cocoa remain.

8. 8

   Stir the remaining chopped chocolate into the brownie batter. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread it into the corners.

9. 9

   Dollop the cheesecake mixture over the brownie batter, then spoon the blackberry sauce on top. Drag the handle of a spoon or a wooden skewer through both mixtures to create a marbled swirl.

10. 10

    Gently press the remaining blackberries into the surface. Bake for 25–30 minutes. The brownies should look set but still wobble noticeably in the centre when the tin is moved.

11. 11

    Leave the brownies to cool completely in the tin, then cut into squares. For faster cooling, place them in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours. Alternatively, portion them while still warm for a warm, very soft dessert.

Notes

For especially fudgy brownies, pay attention to the wobble in the centre: they should not look completely baked through and will continue to set as they cool. A larger tin will produce thinner brownies that bake more quickly; a smaller tin will produce deeper brownies that take longer. The brownies can be frozen.

Nutrition per serving

• Dessert
• Brownies
• Cheesecake
• vegetarian
• baked
• Blackberries
• Chocolate
• for guests