Cream Cheese Brownies

Originally from Betty Crocker Cookbook

Ingredients:
Cream Cheese Filling:
2 Packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg

Brownies:
1 cup butter, cut into pieces
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely copped nuts, toasted - if desired


Instructions:

1) Heat oven to 350F. Grease bottom and sides of 13X9 in pan with shortening.

2)In medium bowl, beat all filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; set aside.

3) In 1 quart saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat; cool 5 minutes.

4) In large bowl, beat chocolate mixture, sugar, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in flour and salt on low speed 30 second, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Sit in nuts. Spread 2 cups of batter in pan. Spread filling over batter. Drop remaining batter in mounds randomly over filling to make spreading easier; carefully spread, using short strokes, to cover cream cheese layer (this helps prevent mixing cream cheese layer into brownie batter).

5) Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 2 hours. Store covered in refrigerator.