Giant Black-Bottom Brownies

Makes 24 brownies

These giant brownies have a chocolate-chip-flecked layer of cheesecake swirled into the dark chocolate batter; thereby combining the best of both brownies and cheesecake.

1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Cream Cheese Filling
Two 8-ounce packages nonfat cream cheese,
at room temperature
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons mini-morsel
semisweet chocolate chips

Brownie Batter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups granulated sugar

1. Place a strainer over a bowl deep enough so the bottom of the strainer doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Put the applesauce in the strainer and set aside to drain for 15 minutes; you should have 1 cup drained applesauce.

2. Place the oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with butter-flavored vegetable oil and set aside.

3. To make the filling: Mix the cream cheese, egg, egg whites and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Set aside.

4. To make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside. Place the eggs and egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whisk until foamy. Add the sugar, drained applesauce and vanilla and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Fold in the flour mixture until the dry ingredients are just moistened.

5. Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top. Pour the remaining brownie batter on top of the cream cheese mixture. With a butter knife, make swirls through the batter to produce a marbled effect. Bake for 55 minutes, or until the center is set. Cool on a rack, cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Nutritional information per brownie: 224 calories (9.7% from fat), 2.4 g fat (1.2 g saturated fat), 6.5 g protein, 47.3 g carbohydrate, 29 mg cholesterol, 158 mg sodium.

A Guy's Guide to Great Eating
Big-flavored, Fat-Reduced
Recipes for Men Who Love to Eat
By Don Mauer
Houghton Mifflin Company
Paperback, $17.00
350 pages, June 1999
ISBN: 0-395-91536-8
Recipe Reprinted by permission.