Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies (Dairy-Free!)

Kree's Note:

This is a moist and gooey brownie that has a light and cheesecakey texture. The secret is draining silken tofu and soy yogurt for a day or two so they thicken up, which gives the filling the texture of cream cheese without the dairy or the fat! I made these brownies for my family for Valentine's Day and cut them into hearts with heart-shaped cookie cutters, and everyone gobbled them up! This recipe is from the wonderful Heather Van Vorous at the IBS message boards at www.helpforibs.com. Prep time does not include time to drain the tofu and soy yogurt.

• Total Time: 38 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 18 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 14

Filling

• 1 (9 ounce) package silken tofu (I use Mori Nu Lite)
• 1/3 cup plain soy yogurt (I use Whole Soy)
• 2 egg whites (or 1/4 cup Egg Beaters)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Brownies

• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (or vegetable oil)
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Crumble tofu into a sieve lined with several layers of paper towels; add soy yogurt.
2. Cover sieve with plastic wrap and place over a bowl to drain overnight, or for up to two days (the longer this drains, the thicker and creamier your filling will be).
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. In a small bowl with an electric beater, beat the drained tofu/yogurt with other filling ingredients until smooth and creamy (or blend ingredients in a blender); set aside.
5. In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda, and salt; whisk dry ingredients until well blended.
6. Whisk in water, oil, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla just until batter is blended.
7. Lightly spray a 9 x 13" baking pan with cooking oil.
8. Pour chocolate mixture into pan and spread evenly.
9. Spoon large dropfuls of the filling mixture in 12 even spoonfuls across the batter (you should have three rows of four dropfuls of filling).
10. Take the flat side of a butter knife and gently pull it through the batter and filling to make a marble pattern.
11. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in a brownie portion comes out with moist crumbs.
12. Cool on rack.
13. I would recommend allowing these to cool completely before serving; I think they have the best texture that way!
14. They're also fantastic topped with vanilla soy ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup!