Summer in Yonkers

Here at the Bakery, we’re still busy making brownie pieces for Ben and Jerry’s summer ice cream rush. And of course, we’re also baking our delicious Do-Goodie brownies, which you can now find in even more stores. It’s been a relatively rainy summer here in Yonkers. Some of the few people who appreciate this cool, grey weather are Greyston Bakery’s brownie artisans, since it can get pretty hot by our ovens in the summer!

Now that it’s starting to warm up a bit, we’ve picked out a favorite recipe best served cool from our Greyston Bakery Cookbook. You can enjoyit with some (Ben and Jerry’s) ice cream and fresh berries or bring it to a picnic or barbeque, where we guarantee it will be a big hit.

Cheesecake Brownie Bars
Makes 2 dozen
The recipe should be prepared at least six hours in advance to give the cheesecake topping time to set in the refrigerator, but letting it cool overnight works best.

For the Brownie Base
6 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1 inch pieces
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of salt
¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

For the Cheesecake Topping
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon of salt

Prepare the Brownie Base

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x 13” baking pan or heatproof glass dish. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving about 1” of paper overhanging the two long sides.

In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (don’t let the pan touch the water), combine the chocolate and butter. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the sugar and eggs together until thick and pale yellow in color. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Alternately stir in some of the chocolate mixture and the flour, repeating until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the batter starts to set. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to allow it to cool slightly.

Prepare the Cheesecake Topping
While the brownie base is baking, cream the cream cheese and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer set on medium-high speed. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the milk, eggs, vanilla and salt. Using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the cheesecake topping in an even layer over the partially baked brownie base.

Return the brownie pan to the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is puffed and pale golden in color and a wooden skewer inserted near the center comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely, then refrigerate, covered, for at least six hours or overnight. Remove the brownies from the pan by grasping and lifting the edges of the parchment. Cut into bars.

Enjoy!