Cherry Cream Cheese Brownies

After I made the cherry-orange cream cheese tartlets, I had leftover cherry compote and cherry liquid that I thought I could use in some sort of baked good. A cherry-chocolate brownie popped into my head, and soon I found myself devising a cherry cream cheese brownie.

If you try the tartlets, you can make these brownies with the leftover cherry goods, but if don't, you can still make these by first preparing the cherry compote recipe you'll find over with the tartlets.

You can use any basic brownie recipe you like. I chose to make an 8- by 8-inch pan of brownies, but you could do a 13- by 9-inch pan as well. You will just have a different ratio of cream cheese to brownie. (You may want to marble the cream cheese mixture if you go with a bigger pan.)

These brownies were the perfect combination of cherries and chocolate. I'm glad I decided to add the cherries to a separate layer because I think they may have been lost had I baked them right into the brownie layer.

Cherry Cream Cheese Brownies
(Cream cheese filling adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients

All the ingredients for your favorite brownie recipe
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons reserved cherry liquid from compote
1/2 cup cherry compote

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325.

Prepare brownie batter according to recipe and pour into 8- by 8-inch or 13- by 9-inch pan lined with foil and greased.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat cream cheese and sugar. Scrape down bowl and beat in egg yolk. Then beat in cherry liquid. Fold cherry compote into cream cheese mixture with rubber spatula. Pour cherry cream cheese mixture over brownie batter. Swirl with a knife or spread to edges with an offset spatula.

Bake brownies according to brownie recipe. (You may need to add extra time. I used a recipe that takes 30 minutes and it took closer to an hour with the cream cheese.)

Brownies are ready when edges have puffed, center feels firm, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Transfer to cooling rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours, then chill in refrigerator for about 3 hours. Cut into 16 squares and serve. (Store brownies in refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Are you good at using up leftovers?