Ghost Cheesecake Brownies

Step 01

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish and line it with a piece of baking paper which makes it easier to get the brownies out of the pan in one piece.

Step 02

Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Melt the butter and pour the hot melted butter over the chocolate. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until the chocolate melts and softens enough to stir into a very smooth, shiny mixture. Set aside.

Step 03

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the granulated sugar. Whisk on high speed (an electric hand mixer works well) until the mixture is very light and a pale yellow color.

Step 04

Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix on high again for about another minute, until even paler, lighter and fluffier.

Step 05

Pour in the chocolate and butter mixture and mix for about 30 seconds until combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed for about 20 seconds, just until it almost disappears, then switch to a spatula and scrape in the flour from around the sides.

Step 06

Reserve a couple of teaspoons of the brownie batter for making the ghost faces later and transfer it to a small piping bag. Spread the rest of the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish, pushing it into the corners and smoothing the top as flat as possible.

Step 07

For the cheesecake ghosts, combine the softened cream cheese, white sugar, egg white and vanilla extract in a bowl. Whisk until the mixture is well combined and completely smooth.

Step 08

Spoon the cheesecake mixture onto the brownie batter in nine mounds, one for the centre of each brownie (an 8x8 pan cut three by three makes nine pieces). Spread any extra cheesecake mixture between the ghosts and use a spoon and a skewer to shape each mound into a ghost.

Step 09

Snip the tip off the piping bag and pipe the reserved brownie batter onto each cheesecake ghost to give them two eyes and a mouth.

Step 10

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until set. The centre will still look fudgy and a skewer comes out coated with chocolate so it is best to rely on the time. Let the brownies cool all the way down in the dish before lifting them out with the baking paper and cutting into nine squares.