Fudgy Brownies with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Swirl

Fudgy Brownies with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Swirl from freshandfoodie.com @freshandfoodieWhile some people may say that no brownie is a bad brownie, I disagree. I happen to be pretty picky about brownies and in my opinion, not all are created equal. My awesome brownie checklist includes the following:

  • Chewy edges (corners prefered) with a slightly undercooked center
  • Fudgy texture rather than cakey
  • NO nuts (I have something against nuts in brownies)

I’ve absolutely made a few unsatisfactory brownie recipes in my day, so when I find a good one I stick with it. And this one is definitely good. Chewy edges? Check. Fudgy texture? Check. No nuts? Check (although I suppose you could add nuts if you really wanted to). The vanilla bean mascarpone swirl is completely optional, but highly recommended.

Fudgy Brownies with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Swirl

Slightly adapted from Food and Wine

What you need:

For the brownies:

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1  cup granulated sugar
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the vanilla bean mascarpone swirl:
  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and scraped of the seeds

How you do it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch-square baking pan.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate with the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 cup of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the whole eggs, one at a time. Whisk the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until the brownie batter is smooth.
  4. In a bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the egg yolk, 1/4 cup sugar and the scraped vanilla bean seeds until well combined.
  5. Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking pan. Spoon half of the mascarpone mixture on top and cover with the remaining batter. Dollop on the remaining mascarpone mixture and swirl the batter a few times with a knife to create a marbled effect.
  6. Bake the brownies for about 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Let the brownies cool before cutting.

16 thoughts on “Fudgy Brownies with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Swirl”

  1. Oh man, I 100% agree with your brownie checklist! Cakey brownies seem redundant – why not just have chocolate cake? This recipe, in any case, looks like it meets all requirements. Deliciously. Forget cream cheese – mascarpone it is…

  3. Couldn’t agree more and to me you’ve described the perfect brownie. Love this vanilla marscapone swirl. I’ve pinned this to my Recipes to try board on Pinterest.

  4. I’m a swirl girl. And yes, there is such thing as a bad brownie, you’re so right. I’m a snob, I’ll admit. I don’t waste calories on bad food. it’s a basic rule 😉 Happy Thanksgiving, friend!

  6. Oh there can definitely be a bad brownie. Normally a bad brownie means it is more cake like for me. I love brownies…the fudgier the better. Add in your little swirl action and I am thinking this is an all star!

  8. You’d be the perfect partner to share a pan of brownies with–yes on fudgy and no on nuts, but I prefer the gooey center pieces over your chewy edges. And those mascarpone swirls? Oh boy!

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