Tiramisu Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These moist, sweet and fudgy bars were developed for Taste of Home magazine where they are called Tiramisu Brownies. I'm not sure why. While the bars are worth a king's ransom in chocolate, Mascarpone cheese and espresso powder, their flavor doesn't quite reach the heights of the Italian classic dessert. I'd be happier if they had called them Mocha and Mascarpone brownies, so I could have set my sights lower. Please don't get me wrong. The bars are delicious, but they are not what I had expected, nor are they as trouble-free to make as I had anticipated. Fortunately, I read the comments associated with the recipe before I started to work on it. That saved me from an expensive disaster. The recipe was not well-reviewed, and a common problem appeared to be that the layers were not in sync with each other and required different baking times to cook. To their credit, someone at Taste of Home read the reviews and came back with a revision that takes care of the problem. Unfortunately, the correction does not appear in the body of the recipe itself, so I've changed the recipe instructions to include the revisions for you. Now, if I haven't scared you off, I think you'll find the recipe works quite well. The brownies are nice and I think those of you who like really sweet desserts will love them. Here is how they are made.

Tiramisu Brownies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/3 cups + 1/4 cup sugar, divided
8 eggs, divided use
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup instant coffee granules or espresso powder
2 cartons (8 ounces each) Mascarpone cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking cocoa

Directions:
1) In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Beat in butter. Gradually beat in 1-1/3 cups sugar. Add six eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2) Combine flour and coffee granules; add to chocolate mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined;. Set aside.
3) For filling, in a small bowl, beat cheese, vanilla, remaining sugar and eggs until smooth.
4) Pour 2-1/2 cups of chocolate batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Spread with filling. Top with remaining batter, spreading evenly to completely cover filling.
5) Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set and brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.
6) Cool on a wire rack. Dust with cocoa. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen.