Cheesecake Brownies with Chocolate Fudge

Homemade, chewy and moist brownies 

topped with a rich and delicate cheesecake layer swirled with chocolate fudge.

Dangerous, I'm tellin ya!

Happy Monday!
Let's start the week off with something amazingly sweet and extremely enticing.
Here is the recipe for an intensely fudgy and chewy brownie, completely covered with a layer of deliciously rich cheesecake. And wait! That's not all... I added a melted hot fudge topping swirled around in the cheesecake layer that's gonna knock you right off your seat!
Are you running to your kitchen and getting ready to bake these?! Well, you really should. This recipe is quite easy and simple. Start by mixing all the ingredients for the brownies. And that's really not much harder than combining a brownie mix from a box. The difference? Homemade tastes sooo much better. Super moist and extra fudgy.
Blend the cheesecake ingredients, top with the chocolate fudge and swirl. You want to bake this in the middle/upper part of the oven, so that the brownie layer stays moist and the cheesecake part fully cooks.
At this point, your self-control will be tested. You've got to wait for these cheesecake brownies to cool a bit, and then chill in the refrigerator for about one hour, or until cold all the way to the middle. Then, and ONLY then,  you can neatly cut them in squares, close your eyes and devour your first one :)

Are you feeling that your pants are getting snug just by looking at these pictures?!? When the mood strikes you for something indulgently chocolaty and sweet, and you feel like breaking the rules... THIS is how you do it!

Dangerous! I'm tellin ya ;) 

Ingredients: to make a 13 x 9 inches (33x23 cm) pan, to be cut in about 20
For the brownie layer:

• 6 oz (170 gr) of unsalted butter 
• 3/4 cup (70 gr) of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup (200 gr) of sugar
• 1 cup (150 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the cream cheese layer:

• 16 oz (450 gr) of regular cream cheese
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of sugar
• 2 tablespoons (25 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• chocolate sauce (I used Smucker's Hot Fudge topping)

Preparation time: 20 minutes to prepare, plus 35 to bake
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C)
Melt the butter (in medium saucepan over boiling water, or in microwave for about 30 seconds)
2. In a large bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and melted butter. Stir until combined.

4. Grease a 9 x 13 inch (33x23 cm pan) with butter and flour. Pour the brownie mixture and level. And set aside.

5. In another bowl, combine the cream cheese,  sugar,, flour, vanilla extract and two eggs. Blend until smooth and creamy.

6. Spread over the brownie mixture, and drizzle with chocolate sauce (as much or as little as you wish) and swirl gently  with a knife.

7. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for about 30 minutes in the middle part of the oven. I used the third slot (of seven) from the top in the oven. You need to make sure the top is set before removing, and you don't want the bottom brownie part to cook too much and come out too dry.
8. Let the cheesecake brownies cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Cut into squares and enjoy :)

Guilt-free Yogurt Cheesecake Cups with Raspberry Sauce

Indulge yourself in this rich, creamy and lush cheesecake cup made with Greek yogurt and raspberry sauce. 

Less calories and no guilt!

Who doesn't love cheesecake? So heavenly rich and deliciously creamy. And  I know: full of fat and loaded with calories...That's what you are thinking, right?
I would not want you to already give up on your New Year's resolution of losing some extra pounds, to fit your skinny jeans and look amazing in your bikini by this summer. But you don't have to break your diet to enjoy an amazing dessert.
To keep your diet on track, all you need is to find the right recipes and a better way to prepare your favorite dishes by using natural and healthy ingredients. And remember, a little more exercise never hurts!
I made these cheesecake cups using "Simply 100" Chobani Greek yogurt. I love this yogurt. It's velvety and rich, made with natural ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, zero fat and only 100 calories in one cup. Amazing, right?

And here is some simple math for you: I used 3 cups (16 oz) of Chobani vanilla yogurt to make 12 cheesecake cups. As you can see in the first picture down here, this is a total of 300 calories (0 fat calories), or 25 calories per serving (only from the yogurt). Regular cream cheese (second picture) has 80 calories (70 fat calories) in two tablespoons. So, if I had used 16 oz of cream cheese in my recipe, I would have ended up with a total 1200 calories (1050 fat calories), which is 100 calories per cup. Wow!! Four times as much.

I'm sure now I've convinced you to try this recipe for a great cheesecake that can fit your healthy lifestyle.

Ingredients: 12 cups

• 5.3 oz (150 gr) of graham crackers, one package with 9 crackers
• 2 oz (57 gr) of unsalted butter (half stick)
• 3 cups of Chobani Greek yogurt vanilla or plain, 5.3 oz (150 gr) each
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) of sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (2 if you use plain yogurt)
• 3 tablespoons of corn starch

For the raspberry sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups of (frozen) raspberries, crushed
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• fresh raspberries for decoration (12 or 36 if you use one or three per cup)

Preparation time: 20 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to bake, 4 hour to refrigerate
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F (175º C). Crumble the graham crackers and melt the butter. Mix the two ingredients together.

2. Press the mixture onto the bottom of 12 silicone muffin cups, or paper lined regular cups. Place in the refrigerator until the filling is ready.

3. Blend together the yogurt with the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and corn starch until smooth.

4. Fill the cups evenly with the yogurt mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool down for about one hour. Refrigerate several hours (or overnight) before serving. 

Note: if you used a silicone pan, be careful when you remove the cups from the mold, or the bottom crust might come apart. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edges if necessary. I suggest to refrigerate first, and then remove from the mold.

5. For the sauce: puree the raspberries in a blender. Combine the pureed raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, and a couple of tablespoons of water in a pan. Cook over medium heat until it's slightly thickened. It should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator about 30 to 60 minutes before eating, top the cups with the sauce and fresh raspberries right before serving.

Enjoy!