RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

It is hard to determine who created the brownie, but dessert devotees no doubt appreciate that individual's now beloved creation.

Brownies are one of North America's favorite baked treats. They actually are classified as a bar cookie rather than a cake, and the dessert earned its name from the deep, brown color of its main ingredient.

There have been many variations on the brownie through the years, and the lively debate whether crunchy end pieces or chewy middle slices are preferred continues. There may be less debate about how flavorful it can be to mix cheesecake with brownies, which is just what happens in this recipe for Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies from Chocolate (Love Food), by the editors of Parragon Books, Ltd. Makes 12.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 cup superfine sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup all-purpose flour

Cheesecake mix

1 cup ricotta cheese

3 Tablespoons superfine sugar

1 egg beaten

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 11 x 7-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, remove from the heat, and stir in the unsweetened cocoa and the sugar. Beat in the eggs, then add the flour, and stir to mix evenly. Pour into the prepared pan.

For the cheesecake mix, beat together the ricotta, sugar and egg, then drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture over the chocolate mixture. Use a metal spatula to swirl the two mixtures together.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until just firm to the touch. Cool in the pan, then cut into bars or squares.