BROWNIE ESPRESSO CHEESECAKE BITES

There is absolutely nothing better than espresso/coffee and chocolate; but this time let’s add brownies and cheesecake to that mix. Espresso cheesecake one of the best types and I figured since it is always made with an Oreo crust or your classic graham cracker crust I decided to switch it up and make the base a brownie! Creating new flavors and add-ins to an already beloved fan favorite and classic dessert is by far my favorite thing to develop. A cheesecake is so versatile in the sense that you can pretty much add just about anything to it or change up the base flavor and it still will taste absolutely amazing – i.e. pumpkin, coconut, chocolate, Peaches, berries, lemon, Nutella, Oreos (and tons of other cookies), Biscoff, the list is endless.

TIPS & TRICKS:

1. When making cheesecake, of any shape and size, the key is to always put it in a water bath or at least put a pan inside the oven. This will lock the moisture inside the oven in order to prevent cracking. A lot of times our oven is so dry from the heat that really light and fluffy desserts such as Cheesecake tend to break and crack from the lack of damp air surrounding it. This may also happen when your cheesecake is done and you shock it by instantly taking it out of the oven and placing it in a much cooler area (anywhere outside of the oven) This will also lead to cracking because it is going from such a high temperature to all of a sudden a much cooler place. This is why when baking cheesecake (not so much muffin size) I will turn the oven off, crack the door open and let it slowly cool down with the oven for about 30 mins to an hour. The oven takes awhile to cool down but with the door open it will let in cooler air but not drop drastically in temperature right away.
2. When baking the brownie first, make sure to not over cook or cook it all the way through. You may feel the need to keep in in longer because it is still underdone. Rest assured you want it to be undercooked but cooked enough for the edges to be set. This will allow it to keep cooking once the cheesecake batter is on top. Since the cheesecake has to cook for another 20-25 mins, if your brownies are overdone before adding the cheesecake, they will end up extremely dry and not the right texture when finished.
3. I always recommend a high quality chocolate whenever I am baking a dessert that requires chocolate, unless of course it is cookies I will do so. I highly recommend a chopped up bar of chocolate when melting with the butter for the brownies.
4. Depending on your liking the ratio of cheesecake to brownie is totally up to you! Neither choice is wrong, I prefer an equal amount of both but some like more cheesecake and some like more brownie so adjust cooking times accordingly.

BROWNIE ESPRESSO CHEESECAKE BITES

Recipe by sugaredkneadsCourse: BARS u0026amp; BROWNIES, CHEESECAKE, Deserts

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• BROWNIES

• Recipe is my small batch brownies found on another blog post

• CHEESECAKE

• 2 (8 ounce) full fat sticks of cream cheese 

• 3/4 cups of sugar

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 

• 2 eggs + 1 egg yolks 

• 1/2 cup of sour cream 

• 1 tbsp cornstarch 

• 2 tbsp flour 

• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract 

• 4-6 tablespoons of espresso powder depending on how strong you like it. I use more (or else you will barely taste it over the cream cheese favor)

• CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream

• 1 cups of chopped chocolate (smaller pieces better for melting)

Directions

• BROWNIES
• Make the brownie batter and pour in muffin pan about 1/4 – 1/3 full depending on how much brownie and cheesecake ratio you want. DO NOT BAKE THROUGH – only bake for about 15-20 mins or until the edges are firm but still gooey and liquidy in the center.
• CHEESECAKE
• Turn oven down to 325 degrees
• Cream together Cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch 
• Add Eggs one at a time + vanilla 
• Add Flour + heavy whipping cream, alternating wet and dry 
• Add in espresso powder
• Take off mixer; Fold in sour cream 
• Pour over brownie until each muffin is filled to the brim (they will not rise above this).
• Bake for another 20-25 mins until the cheesecake no longer jiggles (can still slightly jiggle it will become solid in refrigerator but a softer cheesecake is always better 
• GANACHE
• Heat up whipping cream on stove. Do not boil just want to get it to a simmer 
• Put chocolate in bowl and pour whipping cream over it (be sure your chocolate is in smaller pieces to melt easier)
• Let sit for 3-5 mins then stir 
• Pour on top of cooled brownie cheesecake & let it drip down the sides

Notes

• Brownie recipe is under – “Small Batch Brownies”