DATE BARS - BARRES AUX DATTES

I have a very special relationship with food. You see, I tend to act like a squirrel and keep perishable products for far too long. Because of that bad mania, I generally end up creating menus or making treats in order to rescue from the dustbin the food that I have amassed greedily and stocked as if I were preparing for war...

So, as I had a leftover packet of Christmas dates that was about to expire, I thought that it would be great to not let it rot any further and to use it for making a sweet something that'll uplift our spirits which have been shattered by the awful weather outside. Some of the best treats to bring back a smile on your face are certainly cookie bars, so that's what I decided to bake.

After a little research, I found the perfect bar in Tish Boyle's "The Good Cookie". If you can't find anything interesting to bake in this "bible", then you must be a cookie hater! There is not one recipe in this book that you would want to make and most importantly, all of the recipes I tested until now have been very successful.

The "Date Bars" are wonderful on all levels. They have a delightful spicy, nutty, buttery and fruitty flavor and a very pleasant flaky, crunchy as well as chewy (not too much, though) texture. Those bars are excellent and extremely addictive. Perfect for picnics, brunches or tea time!

~ Date Bars ~
Recipe taken from Tish Boyle's "The Good Cookie" and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Makes 16 bars.

Ingredients for the "Sweet Pastry Crust":
1 1/3 Cups All-purpose flour
1/3 Cup Granulated sugar
1/2 Tsp Sea salt
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Cold unsalted butter, cut into
1/2-inch cubes
1 Large egg yolk
2 Tsp Cold water
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
Ingredients for the "Date Filling":
2 Cups pitted dates, cut in half
1/3 Cup Granulated sugar
1 1/2 Cups Water
1 Tsp Finely grated organic orange zest
1/4 Tsp Sea salt
1 Cinnamon stick
Ingredients for the "Topping":
2/3 Cup All-pupose flour
1/4 Cup Firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/8 Tsp Sea salt
1/2 Cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped
60g Unsalted butter, melted Confectioner's sugar for dusting (optional)

Method for the "Sweet Pastry Crust":

1. Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 22cm (9-inch) square baking pan.
3. Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until blended.
4. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 6 seconds.
5. In a small bowl or cup, whisk together the egg yolk, water and vanilla extract.
6. With the food processor running, add the yolk mixture through the feed tube and process just until the dough begins to come together in large clumps, 15 to 20 seconds.
7. Scrape the dough into prepared pan and, using your fingers, pat it evenly into the bottom of the pan.
8. Bake the crust until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
9. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool while you prepare the date filling and topping.
Method for the "Date Filling":
1. In a medium saucepan, combine dates, sugar, water, orange zest, salt and cinnamon.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the dates are tender.
3. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the cinnamon stick and transfer to the bowl of a food processor.
4. Process the mixture until smooth.
5. scrape the filling onto the cooled crust and spread evenly, covering the crust completely.
Method For the "Topping":
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt until blended.
2. Stir in the nuts and then the melted butter, until the mixture comes together.
3. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the date filling, covering it.
Method for the "Baking":
1. Bake at 180° C (350° F) for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. 2. Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Cut into 16 bars and sprinkle with the confectioner's sugar.

Remarks:
You can replace the dark brown sugar by light brown sugar and the walnuts by pecans.
Store those bars in an airtight container (I keep them in the fridge) at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Serving suggestions:
Eat those squares with some ice cream (vanilla, pecan, walnut, caramel, etc...) or alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Barres Aux Dattes ~
Recette tirée du livre "The Good Cookie" par Tish Boyle et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Donne 16 barres.

Ingrédients pour la "Pâte Sucrée":
170g de Farine fleur/blanche
70g de Sucre cristallisé
1/2 CC de Sel
120g de Beurre non-salé froid et coupé en petits cubes
1 Gros jaune d'oeuf
2 CC d'Eau glacée
1 CC d'Extrait de vanille
Ingrédients pour la "Garniture Aux Dattes":
~315g de Dattes dénoyautées et coupées en deux
70g de Sucre crystallisé
360ml/g d'Eau
1 CC de Zeste d'orange bio
1/4 CC de Sel de mer
1 Bâtonnet de cannelle
Ingrédients pour le "Streusel":
85g de Farine blanche
60g de Sucre brun foncé
1 CC de Cannelle en poudre
1/8 de CC de Sel de mer
60g de Noix de Grenoble, hachées grosssièrement
60g de Beurre non-salé, fondu Sucre en poudre pour saupoudrer (en option)

Méthode pour la "Pâte Sucrée":
1. Positionner une grille de cuisson au milieu du four et préchauffer à 180° C (350° F).
2. Beurrer/graisser le fond et les bords d'un moule carré de 22cm (9-inch).
3. Mettre la farine, le sucre et le sel dans le bol du mixer et mixer jusqu'à ce que ça soit bien homogène.
4. Disperser les cubes de beurre sur le mélange farine/sucre/sel et mixer 6 secondes afin d'obtenir un mélange grossier ressemblant à un appareil à crumble.
5. Dans un petit bol ou une tasse, battre ensemble le jaune d'oeuf, l'eau et l'extrait de vanille.
6. Ajouter ce mélange au "crumble" dans le mixer et pulser pendant 15-20 secondes jusqu'à obtention d'une pâte.
7. Racler cette pâte et la mettre dans le moule, puis, en utilisant vos doigts, bien la presser de manière afin de couvrir le fond du moule de manière égale.
8. Cuire pendant 20 à 25 minutes, jusqu'à ce que la pâte soit dorée.
9. Sortir le moule du four et le mettre sur une grille afin que la pâte refroidisse pendant que vous préparez l'appareil aux dattes et le streusel.
Méthode pour la "Garniture Aux Dattes":
1. Dans une casserole moyenne, mélanger ensemble les dattes, le sucre, l'eau, le zeste, le sel et le bâtonnet de cannelle.
2. Porter à ébullition et réduire la température. Faire mijoter pendant 15 à 20 minutes, jusqu'à ce que les dattes soient tendres.
3. Faire refroidir le mélange pendant 10 minutes puis enlever le bâtonnet de cannelle et mettre le mélange dans un blender.
4. Mixer jusqu'à obtention d'une purrée fine.
5. Verser le mélange sur la croûte et répartir de manière homogène en recouvrant entièrement la croûte.
Méthode pour le "Streusel":
1. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger la farine, les sucres, la cannelle et le sel.
2. Ajouter les noix concassées et le beurre fondu. Bien mélanger afin que la préparation soit légèrement colmatée.
3. Répartir le streusel sur la purrée de dattes afin de la recouvrir entièrement.
Méthode pour la "Cuisson":
1. Cuire à 180° C (350° F) pendant 25 à 30 minutes jusqu'à ce que le dessus soit légèrement doré.
2. Laisser refoidir sur une grille.
3. Couper en 16 parts égales et saupoudrer avec le sucre en poudre.

Remarques:

Vous pouvez remplacer le sucre brun foncé par du sucre brun clair et les noix de Grenoble par des noix de pécan.
Ces barres se conservent 5 jours (à température ambiante - je les mets au frigo) dans une boîte.

Idées de présentation:
Vous pouvez servir ces carrés avec une boule de glace (vanille, café, noix de pécan, noix de Grenoble, caramel, etc...) ou servis tel quel.

NANAIMO BARS - THE DARING BAKERS

This month has been quite hectic for me and being able to complete my Daring Bakers' Challenge has been more than testing. Anyway, no matter how things have been for me lately, I was not going to miss the opportunity of letting the healing powers of baking soothe my body and soul...

The January 2010 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen who chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and "Nanaimo Bars" as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

"Nanaimo Bars" originate from Canada. This no-bake confection is named after the West-Coast city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. This wonderfully rich dessert item consists of a wafer crumb-based layer, topped by a layer of light vanilla or custard flavoured butter icing, which is covered in chocolate made from melted chocolate squares.

Just like any bar, "Nanaimo Bars" are not for the faint of heart when it comes to calories. This easy to make chocolaty, nutty, coconutty, vanilla goodness is irresistibly decadent. They are so bad for your cholesterol, but oh so good for your spiritual health!

Many thanks to Lauren for introducing me to the gluten-free world and for making me realise that baked goods which contain no gluten are as delicious as the gluten-ladden ones.

~ Nanaimo Bars ~

Preparation time:
• Graham Wafers:
30 to 45 minutes total active prep, 2 ½ hours to overnight and 45 minutes inactive prep.
• Nanaimo Bars:
30 minutes.

Equipment required:
• Food Processor
• Bowls
• Parchment paper or silpats
• Cookie sheets
• Double boiler or pot and heatproof bowl
• 8 by 8 inch square pan
• Hand mixer or stand mixer (You may use a wooden spoon, but this makes it much easier!)
• Saucepan For Gluten-Free Graham Wafers

****************

GRAHAM CRACKERS

Ingredients:
1 Cup (138g/4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 Cup (100g/3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 Cup (65 g/2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 Cup (200g/7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 Tsp (5ml) Baking soda
3/4 Tsp (4ml ) Kosher Salt
7 Tbs (100g/(3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 Cup (80ml) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover
5 Tbs (75ml) Whole Milk
2 Tbs (30ml) Pure Vanilla

Method:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight. 4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
7. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

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NANAIMO BARS

Ingredients for the "Bottom Layer":
1/2 Cup (115g/4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup (50g/1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 Tbs (75ml) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 Cups (300ml/160 g/5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe) 1/2 Cup (55g/1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 Cup (130g/4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

Method for the "Bottom Layer":
1. Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler.
2. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut.
4. Press firmly into an ungreased 20x20cm (8 by 8 inch) pan.

Ingredients for the "Middle Layer":
1/2 Cup (115g/4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 Tbs and 2 Tsps (40ml) Heavy Cream
2 Tbs (30ml) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254g/8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

Method for the "Middle Layer":
1. Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well.
2. Beat until light in colour.
3. Spread over bottom layer.

Ingredients for the "Top Layer":
115g (4 ounces) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbs (28g/1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Method for the "Top Layer":
1. Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat.
2. Cool.
3. Pour over middle layer and chill.

***************

REMARKS

These bars freeze very well, so don’t be afraid to pop some into the freezer.
The graham wafers may be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
If making the graham crackers with wheat, replace the gluten-free flours (tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, and sorghum flour) with 2 ½ cups plus 2 tbsp of all-purpose wheat flour, or wheat pastry flour. Watch the wheat-based graham wafers very closely in the oven, as they bake faster than the gluten-free ones, sometimes only 12 minutes.
For the Nanaimo Bars, if making with wheat, replace the gluten-free graham wafer crumbs with equal parts wheat graham wafer crumbs.

***************

Etant donné la longueur du texte original, je n'ai malheureusement pas pu faire une traduction française de ce billet et je m'en excuse auprès de tous mes amis lecteurs et blogueurs francophones!

C'est pourquoi je vous suggère de vous rendre sur le blog mentionné ci-dessous. Vous y trouverez cette recette en version française.

Chez Isa de "Les Gourmandises d'Isa" (Canada)

AMARETTI, APRICOT JAM & COCONUT BARS

I can never resist the call for baking bars (also known as slices or squares, depending on the countries) and always feel very tempted by any recipe which's title contains this magical word...

Already, when I was a child, during my holidays in England (in Derbyshire/at my grandparents), I remember that I offen ordered slices (flapjacks, caramel nut crunch, chocolate topped crunchy slices, nanaimo bars, etc...) whenever we went ou for tea. Their promising looks, crunchiness, gooeyness, fudginess and lusciously comforting richness really spoke to me. Even nowadays, as a grown-up with matured tastes, I still feel that same uncontrolable attraction to this regressive treat!

This weekend, as I was browsing through my diverse cookbooks in search of something to bake. I had only one word in mind: bars. I absolutely had to fulfill this craving, so, I decided to choose a no-fuss recipe that would be made within no time at all, but which would still have that oomph factor that I ached for. And these "Amaretti, Apricot Jam & Coconut Bars" were exactly what I was looking for...

Contrarily to other bars, these dainty "Amaretti, Apricot Jam & Coconut Bars" are not too caloric (neither are they light) or overly sweet, nonetheless, they are as scrumptious and enjoyable as the "dirtier" (understand "luxurious" and "hearty") versions.

With their three layers as well as their divine, yet somewhat old-fashioned flavor combination, these bars are real crowd pleasers. The buttery vanilla shortbread cake layer pairs wonderfully well with the perky apricot aroma of the second layer as well as with the exquisite taste of the almond-coconut layer.

The kind of sweet treat that is perfect for any occasion

~ Amaretti, Apricot Jam & Coconut Bars ~
Recipe taken from The Australian Woman's Weekly "Cakes & Slices" cookbook and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's yummy Yums 2009.

Ingredients for the "Shortbread":
90g (3/4 stick) Unsalted butter
1/2 Cup (105g) castor sugar
1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Big egg (~70g)
1 Cup (127.5g) Plain flour, sifted
1/3 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup (180g) Homemade apricot jam
Ingredients for the "Topping":
2 Big eggs (~70g)
1/3 Cup (70g) Castor sugar
1/2 Tsp Almond essence
1 Cup (120g) Unsweetened, grated coconut
1 Cup (160g) Ground almonds

Method for the "Shortbread":
1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
2. Grease a 20x20cm (8x8 inches) pan.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Cream the butter together with the sugar, until pale in color and fluffy.
5. Add the egg and vanilla, and incorporate well.
6. then, incorporate the flour mixture in two batches.
7. With the help of a spatula, spread the batter/pastry evenly over the base of the prepared pan, then spread the jam over the batter/pastry.
Method for the "Topping":
8. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, add the almond essence, then beat in the sugar, coconut and almonds.
9. Spread the topping evenly over the jam.
10. Bake for 35 minutes.
11. Let cool and a rack, in the pan.

Remarks:
If you wish, you may sustitute any jam (raspberry, strawberry, mango, passion fruit, etc...) for apricot jam and use 2 cups grated coconut instead of the 1 cup grated coconut and 1 cup ground almonds mentioned in the recipe, or replace the castor sugar by light brown sugar.
These bars keep for up to 4 days.

Serving suggestions:
Enjoy at any time of the day and night and serve on any occasion!

See my other bar recipes here.

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~ Barres A La Confiture d'Abricot, A La Noix de Coco et Aux Amandes ~
Recette tirée du livre "Cakes & Slices" de The Australian Woman's Weekly et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's yummy Yums 2009.

Ingrédients pour la "Pâte Sablée":
90g de Beurre non-salé
1/2 Tasse (105g) de Sucre cristallisé
1/2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1 Gros oeuf (~70g)
1 Tasse (127.5g) de Farine blanche/fleur, tamisée 1/3 CC de Poudre à lever/cake
1/2 CC de Sel
1/2 Tasse (180g) de Confiture d'abricot maison
Ingrédients pour la "Couche A l'Amande Amère Et A La Noix De Coco":
2 Gros oeufs (~70g)
1/3 Tasse (70g) de Sucre cristallisé
1/2 CC d'Essence d'amande
1 Tasse (120g) de Noix de coco rapée
1 Tasse (160g) d'Amandes moulues

Méthode pour la "Pâte Sablée":
1. Préchauffer le four à 180° C (350° F).
2. Graisser une plaque de 20x20cm (8x8 inches).
3. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble la farine, la poudre à lever et le sel.
4. Battre le beurre en pommade avec le sucre.
5. Ajouter l'oeuf et l'extrait de vanille. Bien battre afin d'obtenir un mélange homogène.
6. Incorporer délicatement le mélange farine/poudre à lever/sel en deux temps.
7. A l'aide d'une maryse, étaler la pâte sur le fond du moule de mannière égale, puis étaler la confiture sur la pâte.
Méthode pour la "Couche A l'Amande Amère Et A La Noix De Coco":
8. Dans un bol moyen, battre les oeufs avec une fourchette, ajouter l'essence d'amande et incorporer le sucre, la noix de coco ainsi que les amandes moulues.
9. Etaler ce mélange sur la confiture.
10. Cuire pendant 35 minutes.
11. Laisser refroidir sur une grille, dans le moule.

Remarques:
Si vous le désirez, vous pouvez tout à fait remplacer la confiture d'abricot par tout autre confiture de votre choix (framboise, fraise, mangue, fruits de la passion, etc...) et utiliser 2 tasses de noix de coco rapée au lieu de la tasse de noix de coco et la tasse d'amandes moulues, ou remplacer le sucre cristallisé par du sucre brun clair.
ces barres peuvent être gardées 4 jours.

Idées de présentation:
A déguster à toute heure de la journée ou de la nuit et en toute circonstances!

Pour consulter mes autres recettes de barres, clicker ici.

CHEESECAKE MARBLED BROWNIES

Although, I have my favourite "Brownie" recipe (everyone does), my curiosity never stops and I'm always tempted to try new versions of that American classic...

I love gooey, fudgy and rich "Brownie Bars". If they are too cakey, dry, not chocolaty enough or bland, then they will not meet my taste nor leave a mark on me. By definition (at leat in my opinion), "Brownie Bars" should be "dirty" and not light at all, yet gourmet tasting and extremely scrumptious. But don't get me wrong, their dirtiness and hartiness should also go hand in hand with quality. I believe, that they can only taste good if they are made with the best ingredients (like anything cooked or baked, as a matter of fact).

I'm always looking for new inspiration and good recipes in magazines. I love buying them, so, naturally, my attention got caught by a photo featured in one of my "Gourmet" magazines (thanks to Jessica at "In Search Of Dessert" and Corinne!) which portrayed some wonderfully and ever so tempting "Cheescake Marbled Brownies". As they seem to have been widely approved by other foodfreaks like me, I'm sure that you must have already come across this fabulous recipe on other blogs. Everybody who had made those bars was very satisfied by them and praised their extreme delightfulness...

Those "Cheescake Marbled Brownies" combine together two popular and much appreciated classics of the American cuisine in order to create a treat which any dessert lover will adore. It is the ultimate hybrid "Brownie Bar" that will send shivers down your spine and fulfill your most wild cravings for chocolate or cheescake!

This wonderful speciality is quite addictive with it's deep cocoa flavored, not overly sweet, moist, dense, chewy and slightly fudgy brownie layer and with it's creamy and slightly tangy cheescake topping. Not only do these bars taste heavenly, but they are also very pretty and present well with their dainty white swirls that contrast beautifully with the dark-brown color of the brownies.

~ Cheesecake Marbled Brownies ~
Recipe taken from "Gourmet" magazine (USA), June 2007 and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Makes 16 brownies.

Ingredients for the "Brownie Batter":
1 Stick (1/2 Cup/120g) Unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 Ounces (60g) Unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 Cup Castor sugar
2 Large eggs (~63g)
1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1/2 Tsp Salt
2/3 Cup Plain white flour
Ingredients for the "Cheesecake Batter":
8 Ounces (240g) Cream cheese, well softened
1/3 Cup Castor sugar
1 Large egg yolk (from a 70g egg)
1/4 Tsp Pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste

Method for the "Brownie Batter":
1. Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).
2. Butter an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan (brownie pan).
3. Heat butter and chocolate in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, whisking occasionally, just until melted (you can also use the bain-marie method to melt them).
4. Remove from heat, pour into a big bowl and whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined and shiny.
5. Whisk in flour until just combined and spread in baking pan.
Method for the "Cheesecake Batter" and for baking the brownies:
6. Whisk together the cheesecake batter ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
7. Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl in with a knife or spatula.
8. Bake until the edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35-40 minutes.
9. Let cool on a wire rack.

Remarks:
I had no unsweetened chocoloate, so I used semisweet chocolate (60% cocoa) and added 3 tbs unsweetened cocoa (all three ingredients -butter, chocolate & cocoa - were mixed together at step 3).
I also added 1 Tbs lemon juice and 1/2 Tsp cornstarch to the cheesecake batter.
Try adding a few drops of lemon essence or some orange zest to the cheesecake batter.
Spices (cinnamon, cardamom, long pepper, tonka, etc...) can also be incorporated into the brownie batter.

Serving suggestions:
Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.
Those Brownies taste great when they are eaten together with some vanilla or peanut ice cream, sprinkled with pecan brittle or smothered with caramel sauce and accompanied by a glass of cold milk.

See my other bar recipes:
Coconut Custard Squares (see recipe)
Deadly Blondies (see recipe)
Dream Bars (see recipe)
Fantastic Blueberry Crumble Bars (see recipe)
Luscious Lemon Bars (see recipe)
Rhubarb Meringue Slices (see recipe)

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~ Brownies Marbrés Au Cheesecake ~
Recette tirée du magazine "Gourmet" (USA), Juin 2007 et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Pour 16 brownies.

Ingrédients pour les "Brownies":
1/2 Tasse (120g) de Beurre non-salé, coupé en morceaux
2 Onces (60g) de Chocolat non-sucré (0% de sucre), coupé en morceaux
1 Tasse de sucre cristallisé
2 Gros oeufs (~63g)
1/2 CC d'Extrait de vanille ou de pâte de vanille
1/2 CC de Sel
2/3 de Tasse de Farine blanche/fleur
Ingrédients pour le "Cheesecake":
8 Onces (240g) de Cream cheese (type Philadephia), bien battu
1/3 de Tasse de Sucre cristallisé
1 Jaune d'oeuf (provenant d'un gros oeuf de 70g)
1/4 de CC d'Extrait de vanille ou de pâte de vanille

Méthode pour la "Pâte à Brownie":
1. Placer une grille au milieu du four et préchauffer à 180° C (350° F).
2. Beurrer un moule carré de 20x20 cm (moule à brownie).
3. Chauffer le beurre et le chocolat dans une petite casserole, à petit feu, tout en mélangeant régulièrement, jusqu'à ce qu'ils aient fondu (ou faire fondre au bain-marie).
4. Retirer du feu, verser dans un grand bol et ajouter le sucre, les oeufs, la vanille et le sel, tout en battant afin que le mélange devienne homogène et brillant.
5. Incorporer la farine, en fouettant et verser la pâte dans le moule. Bien lisser.
Méthode pour la fabrication du "Cheesecake" et pour la cuisson des "Brownies":
6. Dans un petit bol, fouetter ensemble tous les ingrédients pour le cheesecake, jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit lisse.
7. Déposer délicatement des cuillérées du mélange au cream cheese sur la pâte à brownie, et faire des tourbillons à l'aide d'un couteau ou d'une spatule.
8. Cuire jusqu'à ce que les bords soient légèrement bombés et que le centre soit juste figé, environ 35 à 40 minutes.
9. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Remarques:
Comme je n'avais pas de chocolat non-sucré en stock, j'ai utilisé du chocolat contenant 60% de cacao et j'ai ajouté 3 CS de cacao en poudre non-sucré (le beurre, le chocolat et le cacao ont été mélangés au point 3).
J'ai aussi ajouté 1 CS de jus de citron et 1/2 CC de maïzena à mon mélange au cream cheese.
Pour varier les plaisirs, essayez d'ajouter de l'essence de citron ou du zeste d'orange dans votre préparation à base de cream cheese.
Vous pouvez aussi incorporer des épices (cannelle, cardamome, poivre long, tonka, etc...) dans la pâte à brownie.

Idées de présentation:
Servir tiède, à température ambiante ou froid.
Ces Brownies sont délicieux lorsqu'ils sont servis avec de la glace à la vanille ou aux cacahouètes, de la sauce au caramel, saupoudrés avec du pralin aux noix de pécan et sont dégustés avec un verre de lait bien froid.

Voir mes autres recettes de carrés:
Coconut Custard Squares (see recipe)
Deadly Blondies (see recipe)
Dream Bars (see recipe)
Fantastic Blueberry Crumble Bars (see recipe)
Luscious Lemon Bars (see recipe)
Rhubarb Meringue Slices (see recipe)