Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies (THM S)

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies (THM S)

Are you ready for all the decadence and none of the guilt?

I bring you, peppermint cheesecake-stuffed brownies. OH, YES I DID.

I'm a lover of recipe books. I have memories of flipping through my mom's old cookbooks when I was a kid. It's inspiring looking at all the pretty food, plus it gives you new and different ideas.

One day I was flipping through an old Pillsbury holiday booklet (not even a cookbook, more like a mini magazine. Yes, I keep those too.), and came across these cheesecake-stuffed brownies. Oh. My. Gravy. Who wouldn't love that mash-up?! So, I decided to take it a step further and give the brownies a mint flavor.

I took this brownie recipe (minus the black food coloring), halved the vanilla and added peppermint extract. I also halved the chocolate chips, and only added them to the base layer.

Once the brownie layer is whipped together, halve the batter between 2 bowls and add the chips to the bottom layer. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with coconut oil, and spread the base layer evenly into the bottom of your dish.

For the cheesecake layer, cream together one 8oz block of softened cream cheese with some Pyure, vanilla, and one egg. Lightly spoon the mixture evenly on top of the base layer, leaving a 1/4 - 1/2 inch border around the edge.

Carefully spoon the remaining batter on top, pushing it to the edges and gently down the edge with a thin spatula to "connect" the brownie layers.

The whole thing then bakes at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Don't worry, at the end of the baking time it will look puffy, and almost "broken" on top. It's ok! Once it cools, the cheesecake deflates and everything sets beautifully. The only catch is you have to be patient and let it come all the way down to room temperature before enjoying a slice.

Talk about holly jolly in my mouth! YUM.

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies (THM S)

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