Thursday, February 12, 2009

Mudslide Brownies

Happy 150th Post!

Mudslide brownies. I found this recipe on the FoodNetwork site, but I made a few changes. I used chocolate milk instead of Mudslide mix and I used less coffee. I’m not a coffee drinker so I cut it to about half thinking it would take on more of a chocolate flavor than a bitter taste. I think I achieved this, maybe. I think the coffee could be left out all together if you have an aversion to the hot stuff. If you are not like me and more like my Mom whose most famous line besides, “It’s Showtime,” is “this would be great with a cup of coffee.” Go for it. Use the whole tablespoon. Half of a tablespoon gives it a slight coffee aftertaste but is not overwhelming. The brownie itself is very moist and fudgy and has more of a chocolate cake flavor than a boxed brownie mix. I loved the chocolate chips in the topping. They made for a great edition and were not hard.
Things to note. When swirling the cream cheese mixture, make sure you cut through to the bottom of the pan. Otherwise, you will not get the marbled top. I baked mine for 42 minutes but an even 40 would have been fine too. Make sure not to overbake or the cream cheese will be too gummy and hard to cut.
Overall, I enjoyed it and think it is fun for Valentine’s.

Mudslide Brownies
Adapted from here
1 (18.3-ounce) box fudge brownie mix
3 eggs, divided use
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chocolate milk
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1 tablespoon hot water
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (regular size, chopped, works fine)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine brownie mix, 2 eggs, vegetable oil, and chocolate milk. Mix well to combine. Transfer to prepared baking pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine instant coffee and 1 tablespoon of hot water (can use less coffee mixture). Stir together until all the coffee has dissolved. Add cream cheese, sugar and remaining egg. Using an electric mixer beat on low speed until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread over brownie mixture. Use a butter knife to cut cream cheese mixture into brownie mixture for a marble effect.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

2 comments:

Laura said...

Did you omit the Mudslide mix because of the coffee flavor of it? If I used the Mudslide mix, could I omit the instant coffee?? I also am unclear if I should use the pre-made Mudslide mix with or without alcohol as the receipe doesn't state.

Kelli said...

Laura, I did not use the Mudslide drink/mix because I did not want to have to buy it. The chocolate milk was given as a substitution for the Mudslide drink. The original recipe called for "Mudslide Drink" which contains chocolate, coffee, and rum. Therefore, if you omit the instant coffee you will take away the coffee flavor from the topping but still have it in the brownie due to the Mudslide drink. If you use the TGI Friday's drink as the original recipe suggested then yes, it will have alcohol in it. Hope this helps!