Matcha Cheesecake Brownies: Recipe Testing Adventure

One of the coolest parts of my job is being able to test new recipes and make sure they work to fit the needs of our classes and events. I love being able to take a recipe that I have never made before and turn it into my own. Whether it's adding or substituting ingredients, changing amounts of ingredients, or taking bits and pieces from multiple recipes and mashing them together to create something totally different, doing side by side comparisons of the same recipe with modifications to ultimately find the best result is so rewarding.

My advice to students is to always make the recipe exactly as it is written the first time you try it. From there, you will learn how things should taste, how things should look, how long it takes to cook, etc. This will give you a basis for the next time you want to make that particular dish. I generally find inspiration by perusing the internet which of course, has unlimited recipes. Unfortunately, not everything you see on the internet is correct. It can be daunting to try to find a recipe that has an appealing picture and have it actually turn out like the picture.

Cookbooks are an excellent resource because generally the recipes are tested repeatedly to ensure the proper result. As a chef, I generally love cooking from scratch and making it up as I go, but baking is a whole different beast. For this recipe testing adventure, I was looking for a dessert recipe that could be produced on a large scale for private events, that would go with an Asian menu theme and could be consistently reproduced by my staff. And of course, it had to taste delicious! My wonderful curriculum director, Sara Salzinski, had the idea for Matcha cheesecake brownies, so I set off to see what I could come up with.

I found numerous recipes for Matcha cheesecake brownies online. Some were swirled like the ones I made, some were just a vibrant green layer atop the dark chocolate base. Others used melted white chocolate for the cheesecake top or instead of cocoa powder, they used melted chocolate for the brownie base. There were so many recipes to choose from, but I started with this recipe from The Unlikely Baker. I liked this recipe because it had basic ingredients, not a lot of preparation (such as melting chocolate) and had great ratings. I made the recipe exactly as it was written, and the results were stellar. But in order to work for The Chopping Block's needs, I made a few tweaks. The recipe below is my version of the Matcha Cheesecake Brownies you will find on our new event menu that is completely gluten free and vegetarian!

Matcha Cheesecake Brownies (Lisa’s Version)

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe

Yield: 1 1/4 sheet tray or about 20 brownies

Prep time: 30 minutes

Bake time: 50 minutes

Inactive time: 2 hours

Total time: 3 hours, 20 minutes

For the Matcha cream cheese mixture:

12oz cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup Matcha powder (adjust to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, room temperature

For the chocolate brownie batter:

3/4 cup Dutch processed, unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/2 cup warm water with 2 Tablespoons instant espresso

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/3 cup gluten-free flour replacement

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. Lightly grease a quarter sheet tray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

For the Matcha cream cheese mixture:

1. Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
2. Add Matcha powder. Start with 2 Tablespoons and add more to taste.
3. Beat until incorporated.
4. Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and continue beating until incorporated. Set aside.

For the chocolate brownie batter:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and baking soda until combined. 
2. Add 3/4 cup melted unsalted butter and whisk until smooth.
3. Add 1/2 cup espresso and continue whisking until batter is creamy and thick.
4. Add the sugars, vanilla, and salt, whisking until fully incorporated.
5. Fold in the gluten-free flour until just combined. Do not overmix.

To assemble and bake:

1. Transfer the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Save a 1/4 cup of batter if swirling the top.

2. Top with the Matcha powder cream cheese batter and spread an even layer over the top.

3. Dollop the reserved brownie batter on top of the cheesecake and use a knife or toothpick to create swirls to blend the batter throughout the cheesecake top (optional).

4. Gently tap the pan on your counter a few times to help the batter settle in.

5. Bake the brownies for 45-50 minutes or until they just start to brown at the edges but the center still feels a little jiggly. You want a toothpick inserted in the middle to come out with minimal but slightly moist crumbs.

6. Take out of the oven and allow to cool on the counter. Then chill 2-3 hours (or overnight) until the brownies are set. You can serve the brownies chilled or at room temperature.

Here are the major changes I made to the original recipe:

• My version is baked on a quarter sheet tray lined with parchment paper instead of in a baking dish. I made a version that doubled all of the ingredients to fit into a half sheet tray. This could accommodate feeding up to 50 people!
• I also found that baking at a lower temperature meant the edges don’t brown as much and the green will be more apparent.
• My final version not pictured was not swirled. I found it to be a more striking contrast and when cut and served the brownies looked more polished. Pro tip: if you want the swirled look, save about a 1/4 cup of brownie base and after you layer on the cheesecake, dollop the saved brownie mixture all over and swirl it all around.
• I found that with the original recipe that the cheesecake to brownie ratio was even, so I doubled the amounts of the cheesecake and added way more Matcha than originally called for. It really depends on the quality of Matcha powder that you are using, but some are more flavorful and vibrant than others. My first go around I decided to use a couple of drops of green food gel coloring to enhance the way the cheesecake looked.
• Also, to make this brownie gluten-free I swapped out the all-purpose flour and used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure gluten-free flour. I also tried a version using rice flour. The brownie was nice and fudgy but less stable to hold the cheesecake. I will need to go back to the drawing board on that one!
• I changed the amount of the sugars to be equal parts as well.

I am happy with the way my version came out and am excited to roll it out when an event client picks this new menu we just released. Will it be you for your next private cooking event? Thank you to The Unlikely Baker for the inspiration for these delectable treats.

Have you ever wondered how to adjust recipes or need help to become more confident in deviating from recipes? The Chopping Block would love to help! Check out our Culinary Boot Camp or any of our other classes where our chef instructors are always willing to give their expertise.