Cheesecake Brownies

Just when you thought a soft, chewy brownie was the pinnacle of indulgence, one day some bright spark thought, "You know what this is missing? Some goddamn cheesecake". And how right they were.

The delicious deep chocolate of the fudge is swirled together with light tangy cream cheese to create a decadent, rich treat that's almost as good on the eyes as it is on the taste buds.

One of the keys to a chewy brownie is a two sugar combo - dark brown for texture, and caster sugar for added sweetness. Adding coffee into the mix gives the chocolate flavours added depth, and the chocolate chips are for a concentrated choc hit. Your cream cheese should be the most incorrect-seeming choice — you'll want it full-fat and shaped like a brick. Also, take the time to let your eggs, butter and cream cheese come to room temperature before you start assembling. You'll get a fudgier brownie and a smoother topping.

For the marbling, try to create the lines in one smooth motion and make sure that your mixing tool gets far enough in to the batter, so the swirling effect is throughout the batter and not just on the top. Don't get too carried away otherwise the flavours are going to get too muddled.

Once they're in the oven, you'll need to keep a close-ish eye on them. If they overbake, not only will you lose the awesome fudginess of the brownie, the cheesecake layer will also dry out. Start checking about 5 minutes before they're meant to be done. What you'll be looking for when you insert of toothpick into the centre is for it come out with a slight brown stain on the toothpick with a few moist crumbs sticking to it, but no uncooked batter. The cheesecake layer should have puffed up slightly as well.

One of the most difficult bits of this recipe is the test of willpower as you get drawn in by the aroma of your cheesecake brownies when they come out of the oven. As tempting as it might be, don't start snacking! Stick them in the fridge for a bit to they can reach optimal chewiness. And they will get better with age, so maybe make a second batch just in case.