Spider Web S'more Cheesecake Brownies

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-9" springform pan or cake pan. Set aside.

Step 2

Whisk together the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Fold in the flour until fully incorporated, and beat until thick and shiny. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Step 3

Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan, and spread out evenly. Bake for 15 minutes, and allow to cool while preparing the cheesecake layer.

Step 4

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Gently press the graham cracker mixture on top of the baked brownie layer and set aside.

Step 5

Using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and marshmallow creme until combined. Beat in the egg, then fold in the vanilla extract and flour. Set 1/4 cup of the cheesecake batter aside and pour the rest on top of the graham cracker crumbs. Gently smooth out until even.

Step 6

Carefully spread the remaining brownie batter on top of the cheesecake batter, making sure not to press too hard of the brownie will sink into the cheesecake.

Step 7

Once the top is fully covered with the brownie batter, make the spider web. Transfer the remaining cheesecake batter to a pastry bag or a sealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Slowly draw a large spiral expanding from the center of the brownies. Draw lines radiating out from the middle of the spiral to look like a spider web. Return the brownies to the oven and bake until just set, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Step 8

While the brownies cool, make the chocolate spiders. Lay a sheet of wax paper on a flat surface. Combine the chocolate chunks and vegetable shortening in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and then continue to microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Once smooth, transfer the chocolate mixture to a piping bag or plastic squeeze bottle. Draw the spiders by following the picture guide in the post, or draw them however you'd like. Let them harden until the brownies have cooled.

Step 9

Peel the spiders off of the wax paper and place them on top of the brownies. Serve.