Saturday, January 14, 2012

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake Cups with Peanut Butter Frosting - Part II


Tonight is Beth's party. It's a karaoke party.

I love karaoke. I can't hold a tune to save my life, but I love it. I am one of those people that can get up to sing, completely sober, without a care in the world. Isn't that what it's about? I'm not a big fan of those that sing really well. I mean, how do you follow a Celine wannabe? We went to karaoke one night where the girl actually brought her OWN material. What the.....seriously? I might spring to sing Eric Carmen's, 'All by Myself' tonight. Or maybe butcher some Mariah Carey. I'll see what the atmosphere pulls out of me.

For tonight's edible portion of the show, I'm making some cupcakes. Brownie bottom cheesecake cups with a ridiculous amount of peanut butter goodness on top. Beth loves cheesecake. I thought I would pimp them up a bit more. 

After all, what's a party without cake?

Or a pimp. 


BROWNIE BOTTOM CHEESECAKE CUPS WITH PEANUT BUTTER ICING

Brownies:

1 cup unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips)
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350º. Line muffin tins with FOIL cupcake liners. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and turn off heat. Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over pan of hot water. Stir occasionally until melted.


Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, then whisk in salt, both sugars, and vanilla. 


Stir in chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in flour. 


Fill cups about a third into liners. This recipe will make 24 cupcakes plus an 8x8 pan of brownies. Bake for 5-7 minutes to help set up the brownies. Remove from oven and set aside.


Cheesecake:
2 packages of cream cheese
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream

Combine ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour into cups over the brownie mixture and fill, leaving about a half inch at the top. The cheesecake will settle once removed from oven, so don't be alarmed if it seems full.


Bake for 20 minutes. Don't worry if you see cracks. They will be covered with frosting. 


Let set for a minute or two and carefully remove from pan.

Peanut Butter Frosting:
(You can also completely omit frosting and opt for cherry pie topping!)

½ cup butter
1 cup smooth peanut butter
3 cups powdered sugar
⅓ cup cream

Combine ingredients into a bowl, slowly adding powdered sugar. Otherwise, you'll end up with a cloud of sugar smoke.

Once cupcakes are completely cooled, place frosting in a piping bag with your tip of choice and apply. Add sprinkles or drizzle with caramel. I opted for peanut butter cups and dulce de leche.

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