Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

Stolen from the Hershey’s Website. I’ve been making these for years. They’re phenomenal. I make them without the frosting, although I’ve used it for other stuff, like cupcakes.

I also don’t like nuts in my brownies. It distracts from the chocolate. So I replace them with semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts -OR- semi-sweet chocolate chips (heck, put both in)
• BROWNIE FROSTING (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking pan. I’ve found that about the only things that keep it from sticking is Reynolds “Release” foil, or Wilton’s Cake Release. Typical grease/flour/waxed paper combinations don’t cut it. These are just too moist.
2. Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture until well blended. Stir in nuts. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or just until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies. Cut into bars. About 36 brownies.

BROWNIE FROSTING

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1-1/3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (optional)

Beat butter and cocoa in small bowl until blended; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add 1 tablespoon milk and corn syrup, if desired; beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Add additional milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, if needed. About 1 cup frosting.