Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

• 1 (18-ounce) box double chocolate brownie mix plus the ingredients called for on the box
• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 10 ounces canned cherry pie filling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.
3. In a bowl, prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions.
4. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Let the brownie layer cool.
6. While the brownie layer cools, in a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.
7. Add the eggs, the sugar, and the almond extract to the cream cheese and gently mix until the large lumps are gone (it’s fine for small lumps to remain).
8. Carefully spoon the cheesecake batter over the brownie layer and slowly spread it until the brownies are covered.
9. Add spoonfuls of the cherry pie filling on top of the cheesecake batter and swirl with a butter knife. Be careful not to dip the knife into the brownie layer.
10. Bake the cheesecake brownies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, about 30-40 minutes. Watch carefully to ensure the edges don’t get too brown.
11. Let the cheesecake brownies cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate them until they are set, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
12. Slice the cheesecake brownies into squares and serve.