Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies (Eileen)

Eileens Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

16 squares or 32 bars or trangles

Brownie layer:

2 oz. unsweetend chocolate

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter (or skip salt and use regular butter)

pinch of salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 grade A "large" eggs

1/3 cup unsifted flour

4 oz. toasted pecan halves(350 for 15-20 minutes to toast pecans)

2 oz (1/2 cup firmly packed) shredded cocoanut

move rack to 1/3 from bottom of oven and heat to 350.

Turn a 9x9 pan over and center a square of aluminum foil, shiny side down over the pan, fold down sides and corners of the foil.  Then remove foil and turn pan over.  Place shaped foil in pan and press it gently into place.  To butter foil place a piece of butter (not butter in recipe) in the pan, heat it in the oven to melt, and then brush it all over with a pastry brush or with a piece of crumpled wax paper.  Set aside.

Chocolate Cheese Cake Layer:

8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1/2 cup sugar

3 TB unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, "large"

1 TB flour

cocoa powder, either sweetened or unsweetened to be used after the cake is baked.

optional: a few drops of almond extract, or cherry oil(1/2 tsp cherry or 1 almond for dbl batch)

Beat cheese till soft.  Add eggs one at a time. Pour over top of brownie layer.  Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  cool until tepid.  Sprinkle the top with cocoa through a strainer.  Cover with a pice of wax paper and a cookie sheet.  Turn the pan and cookie sheet over, remove the pan, peel off the foil, cover with a cutting board or another cookie sheet and then turn over again, leaving the cake right side up.  Then chill in the freezer until firm.

Place chocolate and butter in saucepan over low heat and stir until melted.  Add salt and sugar and vanilla, remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time.  Add flour.  Stir in pecans and cocoanut.  Turn into pan and smooth the top.