Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies

With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, I wanted to whip up a dessert that would be great for the holiday. Cue to Sally's Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies. Mint and chocolate go together great...and who doesn't love a creative twist on the classic brownie? The end result were brownies that are rich, gooey, and fudgey with a hint of mint. The green that peeked through gave this dessert the exact holiday flare I was looking for.

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter
8 ounces coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops liquid or gel green food coloring
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 11 x 7 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside. **I used a 9 x 9 inch square pan since I didn't have an 11 x 7. This changed the baking time, and also made the brownies thicker in size.** Set out 8 ounces of cream cheese for the cheesecake layer and allow to soften as you prepare the brownies.
Make the brownies first: Melt butter and semi-sweet chocolate in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly (about 6 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 15 minutes). You may also stick the chocolate/butter mixture into the refrigerator to cool to room temperature quicker.
Stir sugar into cooled chocolate/butter mixture until combined. Add in the eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan, reserving 1/4 cup of batter.
Make the cheesecake swirl: With a hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat the softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolk, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, and 2 drops of food coloring in a medium bowl until completely smooth - about 1 minute. Manually stir in the mini chocolate chips. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of the prepared brownie batter. Cover with the last 1/4 cup of brownie batter. Glide a knife through the layers, creating a swirl pattern. Add more mini chocolate chips on top, if desired.
Bake brownies for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. Check them at the 30 minute mark to be sure. **I baked mine for about 45 minutes, and I think they probably could have gone a few extra minutes** Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting into squares. Brownies stay fresh stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.