Mascarpone Swirl Brownies Recipes

Steps:

• (CLASSIC CHEESECAKE BROWNIES)---Preheat oven to 350'F Grease 9" square baking pan, then line with 14"X8" sheet of parchment paper, overlapping parchment on two sides to form "handles.".
• In a medium bowl, blend 1 cup of Mascarpone Cheese and 1 egg yolk; stir in 3 Tablespoons Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Flour until smooth, set aside.
• In a large, heavy nonstick saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter, 2 oz chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, stirring constantly over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 large eggs until well blended. Stir in 2/3 cup flour until well blended.
• Spread about 1/2 brownie batter into pan. Alternately spoon on Mascarpone and remaining brownie batter. Shake pan back and forth gently on countertop to level the batters. With the tip of a knife, swirl to marble mixtures.
• Bake 30-35 minutes or until brownies just begin to pull from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on rack. Chill before cutting for best results.
• (FOR CHOCOLATE SIN MASCARPONE BROWNIES).-----Add 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips to brownie batter at end of STEP 3; bake and cool as directed. Meanwhile, blend 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 2 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar and 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until smooth. Pour glaze over brownies and chill until set.
• (FOR DOUBLE TOFFEE MASCARPONE BROWNIES)------Add 2 Teaspoons espresso powder to brownie batter with sugar in STEP 3 mix as directed, then stir in 1/2 cup chopped hard toffee candy such as Heath or Werther's. Bake and cool as directed. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche with 3 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar until soft peaks form; stir in another 1/4 cup reserved toffee. Serve immediately over brownies.
• (FOR BOURBON PECAN MASCARPONE BROWNIES).-----Add 2 Tablespoons bourbon and 1/2 cup chopped pecans to brownie batter after STEP 3; bake and cool as directed. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine another 2 Tablespoons bourbon, 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche and 1/2 cup light brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Chill sauce before drizzling over brownies.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F and grease an 8x8 baking pan.
• In a double boiler melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently.
• When chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined, add sugar and stir until mixture is shiny. It will still look a bit grainy.
• Remove from heat and add marscapone, vanilla, and eggs, mixing until smooth.
• Sift flour, salt and cocoa into mixture with a sieve and stir just until combined, making sure to scrape all sides of the bowl. (Mixture will be rather light in texture, instead of dense and heavy like many brownie batters).
• Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top to ensure even baking.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes until tester comes out clean.
• Use the flat end of a potato masher to lightly tamp down the surface of the brownies while they are still warm. Do not squish! Merely flatten any parts that might have raised more than others (typically the edges). This will help the ganache coat evenly. Leave in pan and set on wire rack to cool.
• About 5 minutes before your brownies are done, start making your ganache to pour over the top (which you will want to do while your brownies are still warm). In a double boiler heat butter, cream, and chocolate until melted, stirring frequently.
• Once brownies have been tamped flat and your ganache is smooth, immediately pour ganache over brownies. Let cool completely in refrigerator.
• Once chilled, turn the brownies out of the pan onto a cutting board, and slice into desired number or pieces (4 cuts in each direction will yield 25 pieces approximately 1.5"x1.5" in size). Dusting the knife with cocoa powder may help keep it clean if this becomes problematic.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F; have ready a buttered 8-inch square glass cake pan.
• First, prepare the brownies.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil; have the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl--pour the hot butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.
• Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder (I do this through a sieve, not with a sifter).
• With a wooden spoon, beat in the mascarpone, eggs (30 minutes on the counter brings them to room temperature) and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
• Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly--this is important since, if the batter isn't spread evenly, it won't bake evenly.
• Place into preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean (45 minutes did it for me).
• Place pan on a cooling rack and let brownies cool for 10-15 minutes, while you now make the ganache.
• Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl; in a small saucepan, bring the cream and the butter to just below the boiling point, over medium heat.
• Pour this hot cream-butter mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth; ganache is now ready to use and can be spread over the brownies.
• Should you wish to wait a bit, make sure the ganache is warm when you spread over the brownies, as it does firm up which makes spreading hard to do.
• Don't cut into the brownies until ganache has firmed up; I find it best to put the brownies into the fridge to speed this along; once the ganache is firm the brownies do not need to be kept in the fridge, though.