My friend Diana (who follows my blog, Hi Diana!) texted me asking if I could make some decadent brownies for the Young Women at church, two of my favorite things = baking and Young Women so of course I said YES!!!  I went looking on Pinterest (of course!) and found these beauties!  Decadent, check!  The recipe comes from “Just Us Four”.

brownie layer:

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

3/4 cup cocoa

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

cream cheese layer:

2 packs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

toppings:

1/2 cup caramel sauce

1/3 cup milk chocolate chips

3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Line 9 x 13″ pan with foil and spray bottom of foil with cooking spray.

2  For brownie layer – mix melted butter, sugar and vanilla together until combined.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add cocoa and mix well.  Add flour, baking powder, salt and walnuts and mix just until combined.

3  Set aside 1 cup batter then pour the rest into the pan and smooth with spatula.

4  For cream cheese layer – Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add vanilla and then eggs one at a time until well combined.

5  Pour cream cheese layer over brownie layer and smooth out.

6  Drizzle 1/4 cup caramel sauce over cream cheese layer.  Drop spoonfuls of reserved brownie batter over the cream cheese layer.  Using a knife, gently swirl the top two batters together.

7  Bake at 350 for 45 – 55 minutes or until cream cheese layer is set.

8  Cool for 10 minutes then using foil remove from pan.  Cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour then place in fridge for 2 hours.

9  Drizzle 2 tablespoons caramel sauce over top then sprinkle with chopped pecans.

10  Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth then drizzle over brownies followed by remaining caramel sauce.