The first year we were married, Food & Wine magazine mysteriously showed up at our house without us signing up or paying for a subscription. Maybe it was an anonymous wedding gift or a newlywed promotion, I’m not sure. It’s funny to think we got a food centric magazine back then, because at the time I hardly knew anything about cooking beyond how to throw a Bertolli dinner in a skillet. I remember looking through the recipes in the Food & Wine, thinking they looked about as easy a calculus problem.
After our mysterious subscription expired, I was decluttering and decided to pitch the magazines as I had little use for them. However, considering I have a serious sweet tooth, I just couldn’t part with some of the dessert recipes. And, I’m really glad I had such great sense at the time.
The other night I was looking through our recipe binder and came across one of the saved Food & Wine recipes. It’s funny because upon a second look, this recipe is really not difficult at all. These mascarpone brownies are like a classed up version of the traditional cream cheese brownies. They’re simple, but a little more unique.
Mascarpone Swirled Brownies
- from Food & Wine Magazine
makes 9 brownies
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Ingredients
- 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/4 cups pure cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
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Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a saucepan over low heat, melt semisweet and unsweetened chocolate with butter. Once melted, remove from heat, and whisk in 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Whisk the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until batter is smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone cheese with the egg yolk and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking pan. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top. Then add the other half of the brownie batter. Spread the remaining mascarpone mixture on top. With a knife, swirl the batter together a few times to acheive a marbled effect.
Bake brownies for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Brownies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
14 Comments
The recipes looked about as “easy as a calculus problem”…I love this! So true for a lot of people, which is why one day I’d love to teach some cooking classes. These look great!
The only food magazine I subscribed to was Gourmet (RIP) and I’ve been looking for one to fill that huge void. Are there recipes for all skill levels? Those brownies look delicious and I like the use of mascarpone. I bet it adds a nice kick!
Thanks for this recipe. I had mistakenly bought Tiramisu flavored mascarpone instead of regular for a different recipe (savory) and didn’t know what to do with it then thought of brownies! These should be great.
Wow these look great! Also, I really like the container on the bottom left holding milk (?).
These are a must make. I can’t wait!
I cracked up when I read your story. I, too, couldn’t make more than a Bertolli meal when I first met my fiance and now I’m cooking and baking up a storm almost every night! It’s funny how easy the recipes seem now when I couldn’t fathom making them back then. I love Food and Wine Magazine and also like the new Food Network magazine.
What a delicious looking treat and that glass of milk in the simple jar is beautiful, too!
Holy moly these sound delicious! I love mascarpone cheese and the idea of adding it to brownies makes me think of black bottom cupcakes–only better
Valuable info. Lucky me I found your site by accident, I bookmarked it.
wow! i just found the blog and I have no words to describe how great it is! the recipes are wonderful and the pictures are truly a piece of art… i’ll keep reading. for now, those brownies look so amazing… mascarpone and chocolate seems like an unbeatable combination.
Looks delicious! Totally over the top – YUM!
Adriana, thanks so much!
I am still in between the Bertoli stage and the brownies stage– so proud of how far you’ve come!!
mitch, love you.