Cheesecake-Swirled Brownies

I recently had the opportunity to make the dessert for an office birthday celebration.  And in my office, finding a recipe that everyone will like is not necessarily an easy task.  The birthday girl told me she didn't want anything fruity, and one of the finicky ones in the office doesn't like nuts.  Best recollection, though, is that everyone in the office is a chocoholic, and they all seem to like cheesecake, so this recipe for Cheesecake-Swirled Brownies seemed like the perfect choice. Even so, it was my first time to try the recipe, and I was a little nervous about how it would work out.

They turned out great! I think the best measurement of success at the office is the number of requests for the recipe, and that was pretty high on this one. The recipe is a very easy one, too, so it gets a high recommendation for casual group get-togethers.

I should also mention the source.  The Smitten Kitchen Blog consistently has some of the best recipes around (and pretty food pictures too).  I would highly recommend adding it to your bookmarks.

These brownies are really rich.  I cut the pieces about 2 1/2" square, and several people said they could have been smaller.  They are so rich that serving them with a little Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream actually cuts the richness.