Birthday Brownies!

I wanted to take a treat to work today for my birthday (because apparently I am 10 years old) so I decided to make some brownies I saw on Pinterest. They had Baileys Irish Cream in them and I adore baked goods with liquor flavoring.

For all my inability to cook, I am actually not a bad baker. At least this was what I thought prior to making these brownies. I've never made brownies from scratch but I don't think I made any critical errors other then not cooking them long enough.

When I pulled them out of the oven I tested them by sticking a knife in the middle. It did not come out completely clean. I didn't think this was a problem because I figured the cream cheese filling would always be a bit gooey. I let them sit for a few hours figuring the brownie part would harden up a bit more. I was wrong though, they are not really cooked in the middle. It's too bad really, because the edges are awesome!

I will try these again and see if I can get them to come out better. Tonight I am going out for birthday dinner :)

Here's a picture of what they should look like and the recipe. If anyone makes them successfully, let me know and invite me over!

Brownie batter

• 1 cup butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur

For the brownies:
Place the butter and chocolate into a medium saucepan and melt gently over low heat while stirring frequently. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9 inch baking pan with aluminum foil.  Coat the foil lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl until light and fluffy (this took about 3-4 minutes with my mixer).  Sift the flour and salt together; add to the sugar mixture in three half-cup increments. Add in the chocolate mixture by folding it into the sugar mixture. 

For the cream cheese filling:
In another medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar and beat until creamy. Continue to beat while adding the egg and liqueur.

To assemble the brownies:
Pour half of the brownie batter into the pan. Spread all of the the cream cheese layer over the brownie layer. Pour the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer and using an offset spatula, smooth the batter. To create a marbled effect, swirl the layers together with a knife. Bake for 40 minutes; cool completely before cutting.