Kit Kat Cheesecake Brownies [GMG Originals]

If Kit Kat will give you a break, these Kit Kat Cheesecake Brownies send you on vacation - or at least you'll feel like you're being spoiled once these brownies hit your taste buds. This dessert is the ultimate too-good-to-be-true confection, but once you take a bite you'll fall in love for real! With a layer of brownie, covered completely with Kit Kat and then topped with creamy cheesecake, these bars are out of this world!

Ingredients:

For the brownie

- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 20 individual Kit Kat wafers (5 regular-sized Kit Kat bars)

For the cheesecake

- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the brownies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, melt together the butter and unsweetened chocolate until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt (the batter will be really thick and grainy – keep going). Beat in the vanilla and egg. Whisk in the flour. Scrape the batter into the baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. If you haven't already, break the Kit Kat bars into individual wafers. Gently press the wafers on top of the brownie batter in one layer (you will make 2 rows with 10 wafers each). Set aside while you make the cheesecake layer. For the cheesecake, in a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Pour the cheesecake on top of the Kit Kat layer, smoothing it out. Bake 35-40 minutes or until the top is firm but still wiggles a little bit (a toothpick should come out clean). Let cool completely to room temperature then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Let the pan sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
[GMG Originals]