Espresso Cheesecake Brownies (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Melissa of Life in a Peanut Shell: Espresso Cheesecake Brownies. There's a bottom brownie layer, topped with a cheesecake layer with swirled in brownie batter, topped with a sweetened sour cream glaze.

These were pretty simple to make, but do require several long periods of refrigeration - I wanted to eat these straight from the oven! I'll admit I was a bit unsure about this recipe, but it really surprised me. They're definitely not as chocolately as I thought they would be, but this is a great way to satiate a cheesecake craving without having to go through all the trouble of making a cheesecake. I'd probably describe these more as cheesecake bites than I would brownies, probably because the chocolate flavor is pretty subtle.


The sour cream topping was just barely tart and slightly sweet and was an excellent contrast to the cheesecake and brownie layers. I know several people omitted this, but I would really recommend giving it a try. If I make it without the sour cream topping in the future, then I'll probably cut them into bite size pieces, dip them in chocolate, and then freeze them like those Sara Lee cheesecake bites! :)


Thanks Melissa, for picking this recipe. I enjoyed trying something new. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this creamy, chocolatey treat.

* Recipes notes:
- I used 1 tsp of espresso powder instead of 1.5 tsp and felt this had plenty of coffee flavor!
- I baked my brownies in a dark pan and they were done right at 35 minutes.
- Wrapped well, these will keep in the freezer for 2 months (without the glaze).
- For tips, click here.