Brownie Cheesecake Like Disney Makes

Not quite a year ago I was invited on a culinary journey at Walt Disney World . When I left the home of the magical mouse I had a new appreciation for theme park dining- and a few new cookbooks.

I made this brownie cheesecake as part of a "thank you" dinner for my brother and brother-in-law. We were stranded in St. Louis during the Blizzaster earlier this month and they cleared our driveway of snow and ice- by hand- so we wouldn't have to do it at midnight when we got home.

Since brownies and cheesecake are two desserts that regularly show up at family dinners the combination of the two was divine! This recipe is attributed to Disney's Boardwalk Bakery and was taken from the book Delicious Disney Desserts.

The addition of the cornstarch makes the cheesecake a bit more "firm" than a traditional cheesecake, and I substituted plain fat free yogurt for the heavy cream.

The recipe says it serves 12, but those are mighty big pieces! This is a perfect recipe for making "bite size" desserts- great for gatherings and parties.

Brownies
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
5 eggs
2 sticks of butter, melted
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2" baking pan. Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Beat flour mixture and eggs on low speed using an electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally and mixing until smooth. Slowly add melted butter and beat until just combined: do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips.

Transfer batter to prepared baking dish. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Cheesecake
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 8-ounce boxes of cream cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons sour cream

Preheat oven to 325°. Cream sugar, cornstarch, and cream cheese in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Add lemon juice and vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl with each addition. Fold in heavy cream and sour cream. Spread batter on top of already baked brownies. Bake until cheesecake is lightly browned and firm, about 55 - 60 minutes. Cool completely and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Freschetta - Almost Like Homemade

I'm a mom.
And a freelance writer.
And a taxi driver... a cook... a housekeeper... a laundress... a dance mom... a gymnastics mom... a volunteer with my church...

The list can go on and on (and many days it never seems to end). We all know that moms are busy. And being busy there are nights when the menu I have planned goes right out the window and I pull a pizza from the freezer.

Though I tend to be a frugal shopper, I have always subscribed to the notion that "you get what you pay for" and my pizza choices have reflected that; I usually purchased Freschetta or that other brand that's "not delivery".

While at the Blissdom conference I had a chance to meet with Freschetta, learn more about the company and ask some questions.

Made by a Name I Know

Growing up in the Midwest, Schwan's was synonymous with home food delivery. Every two weeks the big cream colored freezer truck would rumble down the gravel road and up to our farmhouse. I remember my mom buying ice cream in a 2 gallon metal container. Today my girls recognize the truck, too, as "Shawn from Schwan's" arrives at our home every other Wednesday.

Knowing that Freschetta was made by the Schwan's company gave me a little burst of Midwest pride; learning more about how they make the pizzas made me feel good about buying them.

Like You Would Make - If You Had The Time

Beginning with the crust- made without leaveners and allowed to rise- of sweet spring wheat, ripe tomatoes and natural cheeses, Freschetta strives to create a homemade pizza experience with the ease of a frozen pizza. Toppings are fresh and crisp- not soggy- and are plentiful.

I had the chance to try the Brick Oven Spinach and Mushroom pizza and am surprised to say I really liked it- which is HUGE because I am not a veggies-on-my-pizza kind of girl. (OK, that's putting it mildly- I am a meat-and-cheese-only kind of girl.)

My daughter loves Hawaiian Pizza. Pineapples are her favorite topping ever. I've never been impressed with the pineapples on frozen pizzas; they are either so tiny you barely notice them or are so soggy you wish you hadn't noticed them. Not so with the Freschetta Canadian Style Bacon and Pineapple. The chunks of pineapple are flash frozen so the cells don't break down and they are perfect after baking- almost like you cored and sliced the pineapple yourself.

Want to Try Freschetta?

The Freschetta folks gave me a few coupons for free pizza (any variety) to share with my readers. Just share your favorite Freschetta pizza in the comments! Be sure to leave an email so I can contact you. Eight (8) readers will receive a coupon. (contest ends February 18; I will draw winners 2/19/11)

Haven't tried Freschetta yet? My suggestions:
Naturally rising crust: Canadian Style Bacon & Pineapple
Brick oven crust: Spinach and Mushroom
California style crust: Mediterranean Garden Veggie (the sauce is divine!)
PizzAmore: Zesty Meat Medley
Flatbread: Roasted Garlic and Spinach (you can never have too much garlic!)

Another way to win: Enter the Fresch from the Silver Screen contest for a chance to win a Hollywood beauty bag and Freschetta pizza for a year!