Even Better Best Brownies Ever

Last year for David's birthday, I made my traditional family brownie recipe topped with caramelized sweetened condensed milk (see post: Best Brownies Ever). This year, I tried to make a great thing even better, and I am happy to say that I succeeded.

Because I knew the brownies would be shared among all 5 roommates when we sang for David and he blew out candles, I thought I should make them a bit more voluminous. And, I really love cheesecake swirl brownies, so that seemed like the perfect solution.

I made the original brownie recipe as written, though with half the amount of butter, using canola oil to make up the rest of the fat. Then, I made a simple cheesecake filling (see recipe below). You add about 2/3 of the brownies to the pan, then the filling, then the remaining brownies. Use a knife and make figure 8's to swirl.

Despite the extra filling, I baked the brownies as normal in the toaster oven, cooking them until they were not raw but not at all dry either. And to top it off, I made yummy chocolate butter frosting, too!

Cheesecake Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Then add sugar and beat until combined.
2. Add egg and beat until smooth.