Chocolate Boom Booms

Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ¹/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¹/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ³/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces cream cheese chilled
• 1 ¹/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ¹/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300F degrees.
    
2. Lightly grease an 8" square pan with butter or vegetable oil.
    
3. Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water.
    
4. Cool the mixture for 5 minutes.
    
5. Place the 1 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl and pour in the chocolate mixture.
    
6. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix until blended, about 25 seconds.
    
7. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and add the 1/2 teaspoon of  vanilla.
    
8. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the first 3 eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition until the yolk is broken and dispersed, about 10 seconds each.
    
9. Scrape the bowl after the last egg and blend until velvety, about 15 more seconds.
    
10. Add the 3/4 cup of flour on low speed and mix for 20 seconds; finish the mixing by hand, being certain to mix in any flour at the bottom of the bowl; set aside.
     
11. Mix the cream cheese, 5 tablespoons of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 1/2 teaspoons of flour and the last egg in a food processor and process until blended, about 45 seconds; set aside.
     
12. Spread about 2/3 of the brownie batter in the prepared pan.
     
13. Spread the cream cheese filling over the brownie batter.
     
14. Using a spoon, scoop the remaining brownie batter over the filling in nine equal mounds arranged in rows of threes so that there is some space between them.
15. Run a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon back and forth the length of the pan, making parallel lines about 1-1/2 inches apart, then do the same thing in the other direction as if making a grid; this will marbleize the two mixtures.
     
16. Shake the pan gently back and forth to level the batter.
     
17. Bake the bars at 300F degrees on the center oven rack until a tester in the center comes out clean or with some moist crumbs, about 50 minutes.
     
18. Allow the brownies to cool for 1 hour before cutting.