Ghost Cheesecake Brownies

Recipe View Preheat and Prep: Gather all ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Melt the Chocolate: Place chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Pour the melted butter over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to begin melting. Stir until smooth and completely melted. (7 minutes)

Recipe View Whisk Eggs and Sugar: In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until the mixture is light, pale yellow, and has thickened slightly. Add vanilla extract and salt. Continue mixing on high for 1 minute. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Combine Brownie Batter: Pour the melted chocolate-butter mixture into the egg mixture and mix until well combined, about 30 seconds. Gently fold in the flour with a spatula until just combined; be careful not to overmix. Set aside 2 teaspoons of brownie batter for decorating. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Pour and Spread: Transfer the remaining brownie batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Smooth the top with a spatula. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Prepare Cheesecake Ghosts: In a separate bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, egg white, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and well combined. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Create the Ghosts: Drop 9 tablespoons of cheesecake mixture onto the brownie batter in an evenly spaced pattern. Using a spoon and a bamboo skewer or toothpick, gently spread and swirl the dollops to create ghost-like shapes. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Decorate with Eyes and Mouths: Transfer the reserved brownie batter into a small plastic bag. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag. Pipe two small dots for eyes and a curved line for a mouth onto each cheesecake ghost. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake: Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the edges are lightly golden brown and the center is just set, 35 to 40 minutes. Note: Because these are fudgy brownies, a toothpick inserted into the center will not come out clean. (40 minutes)

Recipe View Cool and Serve: Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before transferring them to a plate using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into squares and serve. (60 minutes)