Pumpkin-Spice Cheesecake Brownies

I have decided to try out a slightly different format with my recipes. If you have noticed, I have tried to give you as much step-by-step pictures as possible (meaning, as many as I can take that don't look completely like crap); but as I hear that more and more people are copying and saving recipes from my blog, I am realizing this might be a little difficult.

So I am going to try and lay out the recipe in full so that you can copy and paste in one fell swoop, and save the step-by-step pics for the end. Let me know which you prefer if you have a moment, please!

::Back to the food:: This recipe is another favorite from last year, from the lovely Cara. I think I can safely say that pumpkin is one of Cara's favorite ingredients to cook with; and she does a fabulous job creating the recipes with it!

These brownies are SUPER rich and are not as quick and easy as some other desserts I have posted. Although they still are fairly simple, and definitely delicious! You have a very dense chocolate brownie layer swirled into the creamy pumpkin with plenty of spice to remind you of a cozy fall day. You don't need to cut these as large as regular brownies - a little taste will do the trick!

I substitute 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for the ginger and cloves in the cheesecake batter and make sure if you use a glass baking dish to allow for a longer baking time. That is what I use and I tested with a toothpick at the recommended 40 minutes and left it in another 2 minutes. Yours may take longer, I have heard as long as 10 minutes extra for a glass dish!

Pumpkin-Spice Cheesecake Brownies

from Cara's Cravings

Makes 16 servings

Brownie Batter

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cheesecake Batter

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square metal baking pan.

Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and then gradually stir into butter mixture with a wooden spoon. In separate bowl, beat together cheesecake batter ingredients.

Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife back and forth through the pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.

Spoonfuls of chocolate before swirling...

...and after swirling!