Thursday, June 23, 2011

Strawberry Goat Cheese Brownies: You Need These

Remember that bake sale that Jaryn and I put together to help her raise money to kick the &^%$^ out of cancer? The result: we raised over $350! And what was the top-grossing item?

My strawberry goat cheese brownies.

Now, I won’t make you pay me $100 or something for the recipe. I’m just that generous. How could I not be, after experiencing some goat cheese, chocolate, and strawberry melded together into a dense, delicious dessert?

Just the sight of that combination should warm your heart. And inspire you to make these yourself.

As a bonus, the "We Should Cocoa" challenge, hosted by Chocolette this month, dared us to mix chocolate and strawberries in a recipe this month. Check.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Brownies (adapted from Nick Malgieri's Supernatural Brownies) - Ingredients

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (Scharffen Berger 70% cocoa)

8 ounces butter

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup flour

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

8 oz goat cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups strawberry preserves

Melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat until just melted, set aside and allow to cool.

Blend the goat cheese and cream cheese in a food processor until smooth, add one egg, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Beat four eggs until fluffy, then add 1 cup of sugar and brown sugar, beat until fluffy again. Add salt, vanilla, and chocolate butter mixture, blend until uniform. Fold in flour, then pour 2/3 of batter into a 9”x13” pan buttered and lined with buttered parchment paper. Drop spoonfuls of goat cheese mixture onto batter so that it is evenly spread atop the batter.

Drop tablespoon-size chunks of strawberry preserves onto goat cheese, keeping chunks evenly dispersed.

Drop remaining brownie batter in tablespoon quantities in between chunks of strawberry preserves.

With a knife, carefully draw horizontal and then vertical lines through the top of the pan to mix the batter, goat cheese mixture, and preserves.

Bake at 350° F for 45-50 minutes, or until brownies are firm when the pan is shaken.

Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate before cutting.

If you don’t refrigerate them first, your knife will be covered in soft strawberry goat cheese brownie remains, and you’ll have to eat it off the knife.

Tragic.

Have you had goat cheese in chocolate baked goods before? How did you like it?

20 comments:

  1. 1. Yummmmmmmmmmm.
    2. Remains on the knife are tragic. I would tell you that plastic knives tend to not get stuff stuck on them, but I feel like that would ruin the fun.
    3. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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  2. I do need those. Like, this weekend maybe.

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  3. Um, I also need them now! My productivity today will be shot as I will be dreaming about makings these!!

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  4. I love brownies with goat cheese, and adding strawberries is a wild and wonderful idea!!

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  5. I was hoping you'd post this recipe! I can vouch for these brownies being amazing! Great texture and flavor... they are haunting me in the fridge as we speak;-)

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  6. These look amazing. Wonderful brownie idea.

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  7. I do need these. In a major way.

    I'm glad you finally executed on this plan. My mouth has been watering since you first came up with the idea!

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  8. the closest I have come to putting cheese in a SWEET baked good is baked brie...but I think I could change my ways for these guys...

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  9. I have to admit, I was skeptical. But these look delicious, and I will now have to try them.

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  10. Yum. I LOVE goat cheese w/ chocolate. I've made goat cheese brownies before (though my recipe is a little different -- I just add a bit of butter to the goat cheese swirl which seems to let the tanginess come through loud and clear.

    I love the idea of adding strawberry. Nom nom!

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  11. OMG, delicious! I want these in my belly right now.

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  12. You are brilliant. :) I don't know how you came up with thisidea but it sounds spectacular and I will definitely have to try it at some point!

    <3
    n

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  13. Mmm, I love brownies with cream cheese, and I LOVE goat cheese. I need to make these. you are a genius.

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  14. Thank you, thank you for sharing. I don't know when I'll have the time or an occasion to make these, but I truly hope it's soon :)

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  15. You bet I need these, they look and sound fantastic! Thank you once again for participating and for coming up with such lovely creative things.

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  16. Need and want these! I've never made any recipes with goats cheese and chocolate but it sounds a winner!

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  17. Not surprised that these sold out in no time - they look and sound wonderful.

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  18. While you know how I feel about these, they look sexy. I would totally at least try one if someone made them.

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