Through March and April the featured cookbook for the 101 Cookbooks Library was Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery. I had my eye on the Brownie Cheesecake from the beginning, but with all that chocolate, butter and sugar, it was definitely a special-occasion thing. I decided to make it for my family's Easter celebration.
Things were going well at first. Then as it was baking, I started to get concerned. I added extra time and it still didn't seem done. I looked at the recipe again and it said "don't worry if it seems undercooked." So I took it out, let it cool, and brought it to the party.
When we cut into it, it was like pudding. Totally raw brownie/cheesecake batter. A bunch of people ate it anyway, since it tasted delicious. I took the rest home (about half) and tried to bake it again the next morning. I think I overcooked it a little, but it definitely baked, and it was pretty tasty.
So what I learned here is that it was delicious, but the baking time given in the recipe is utterly ridiculous. I would start with at least 40 minutes on the clock, and add extra time until it looks set. Had I trusted my instincts, it probably would have worked out better.
One last note: another member of the 101 Cookbooks Library (and a former employee of the actual Rose Bakery) recommended doubling the cheesecake part - I definitely want to try this next time. Since the batter is so thick, I want to try plopping spoonfuls of the brownie batter around the pan, spaced out, so that I can let the cheesecake batter run in between. Now that I've made the mistakes, it will be so much better next time.
Not only was it chocolatetie - it looked
ReplyDeletelike a work of art!