Cream Cheese Brownies

 Cream Cheese Brownies

Dreenaburton.com 

 

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese Layer:

1 cup soaked cashews
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 T water
1 T pure maple syrup
2 T vanilla yogurt (non-dairy if needed). If using coconut yogurt instead of soy, add another 1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla 
1/8 rounded tsp salt

Brownie Layer: 

1 C+ 2 T sifted or light spelt flour or whole wheat flour
¾ C coconut sugar
½ tsp sea salt
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 T arrowroot powder or cornstarch
3 T maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla 
¼ C+ 1 T plain or vanilla non-dairy milk
3½ T neutral-flavored oil or 3 tbsp macadamia nut butter for oil-free

Topping: optional

1/3 – ½ cup chocolate chunks 
Few pinches coarse sea salt 

Alternatively, top with half a recipe freezer fudge (don't add nuts) after baking and keep in the fridge.  

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper. 2. For the cream cheese layer: Blend all the cream cheese layer ingredients with a high-speed blender or immersion blender until extremely smooth. 3. For the brownie layer: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt, and sift in the cocoa and baking powder. In a small bowl, mix the arrowroot with the maple syrup until smooth, then add the vanilla, milk, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until evenly mixed and thick. 4. Scoop about 2/3rds of the mixture to the prepared pan and use some parchment to help press the mixture into the pan evenly and spread it out. Gently spread the cream cheese layer over the top. Then carefully spread the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. You can spread pieces over it in a sort of patchwork quilt style, knowing that not every single space needs to be covered. 5. Add the topping: Place the chocolate chunks on top, and then sprinkle with the salt. If adding fudge topping later, don't do that until after you bake it. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes.  6. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan, running a spatula around the outer edge to loosen. The brownies will not seem fully cooked, but do not cook longer! Let cool and they will get fudgy. Once cooled, score the brownies with a sharp knife to ease cutting the chocolate before it completely hardens. Or add the freezer fudge and refrigerate. Makes 16-20 brownies.