Black & White Cheesecake Squares

This one is for Lex.

My freshman year, I had a roommate named Audra. She was odd, so I thought her name was quite apt. When we first met, I asked what her major was, and she said, "Colonial Arts."

I was like, "Colonial Arts? Like, art from the colonial era of the United States?"

She was like, "No. Where you cook a lot."

I giggled. "Do you mean Culinary Arts??"

She laughed. "Oh, yeah..." she said.

Aud made some cheesecakey brownies once that were to die for. I've often thought of them since. I was perusing Mel's Kitchen Cafe and found a recipe for these and had to try it. Mel's recipes are never, ever, ever bad. They are all "smiley faces," as Ben would say. I've made these twice in, like, two weeks. I made them yesterday for my oldest son's 8th birthday party, per his request.

Black and White Cheesecake Squares

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides, then spray parchment.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. In another bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Increase speed to medium; beat until incorporated.

Reserve 1 cup of dough; cover, and refrigerate. Press remaining dough into bottom of prepared dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until base is set and edges are puffed, 22-25 minutes (don’t overbake or this brownie layer will be too hard and crumbly). Let cool in dish on a wire rack.

Mix cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and remaining egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base; crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang. Cut into 24 squares. Squares will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Recipe Source: adapted from Martha Stewart Living