Pistachio Brownies

Here is another delicious recipe from Taste of Beirut blog.  The middle layer is pistachio paste combined with cream cheese.  You can make your own pistachio paste, but I was making an order to Nuts.com anyway, so I just ordered some of it.  I'd like to try making my own next time, though! 

The brownie batter is just a regular brownie batter (it's very good on its own and smells delicious!)  Then you glop on the pistachio cream cheese, more brownie batter, and bake. 

My container of pistachio paste contained enough for two batches of these brownies, so I made them twice, in the space of a few weeks.  The whole family loved them- I thought the kids might not want to try them, but they did, and loved them.  Actually, the second time I made them, my 5-year old sat on a kitchen stool in front of the oven, waiting for them to finish baking. 

Pistachio Brownies
adapted from Taste of Beirut

Brownie Layer:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (spoon into measuring cup) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
dash of salt
4 ounces of unsalted butter
4 ounces of semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of sugar

Pistachio Cream:
3 ounces cream cheese
4 1/2 ounces of pistachio paste, purchased or homemade (recipe- scroll down)
1 large egg

1.  Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat in a small, heavy saucepan on the stove. Set aside. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder.

2.  In a large bowl, mix the eggs and 3/4 cup of sugar until the mixture is thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. (I used my KitchenAid).  Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture and vanilla. Mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix to combine.

3.  In a food processor bowl, place the cream cheese, pistachio paste and egg. Process until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. In an 8 inch brownie pan, place a piece of parchment paper.
Pour half the brownie batter, then all of the pistachio batter by spoonfuls; pour the remaining brownie batter over top. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed. Test the cake with a toothpick. Cool and serve.

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