If amazing had a flavour it would be chocolate

I haven't actually tried that many recipes from How To Be A Domestic Goddess, which I think is down to the fact that I got very fond of two in particular and never quite managed to move on from there. The pages of the pain au chocolat pudding actually got stuck together because they were so food-spattered, and so I hastily placed a sheet of parchment between the pages of the chocolate brownie recipe lest it meet the same fate.

In search of something new to try, and in the interests of keeping our energy levels topped up in work, I turned the page of the chocolate brownie recipe to find an exciting new take on my old friend: chocolate brownies with cream cheese. Not so new as to be particularly challenging, new enough to make me feel unboring. Perfect. I have eaten chocolate and cream cheese muffins in the past and they were most, most pleasant, surprisingly so: the inimitable cold salty creaminess of the Philadelphia complements its more moist chocolatey surroundings delightfully. Look away now if you are one of those very disciplined creatures who cannot eat Lovely Things after seeing what goes into them.

Melty melty - but extreme vigilance at all times because the old butter/choccie combo is a pain for sticking and burning.

Very satisfying to plop the meltiness into beaten eggs and sugar:

Dear anyone who ended up eating these: I hope you appreciate me resisting the temptation to stick my finger into this mixture to taste it. Rare moments of self-discipline always kick in when it comes to matters of hygiene.

And then, one of the most amazing sandwich-type creations that I ever had the pleasure of making. First, a layer of choclatey goodness.

And then, in the centre, thick, crumbly slices of cream cheese.

With great excitement, the rest of the choccie mix on top.

Love the cracked-y arid landscape look of a freshly-baked batch of brownies just out of the oven.

Chopped-y chop, bags the big one on the very left of the middle row. Actually, to be honest I ate more than one.

Yeah, they didn't last long enough to take any more photographs, sorry about that.