(Makes 9 squares)

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• 150g unsalted butter
  
• 200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  
• 100ml espresso
  
• 250g unrefined caster sugar
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• Salt, pinch of (optional)
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 100g plain flour

For the marble topping:

• 150g cream cheese
  
• 60g caster sugar
  
• 1 egg, beaten
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170C.

2. Grease a 20cm square tin with butter and line with baking paper.

3. Melt the butter and chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over a smaller pan of just simmering water. Once it is melted, stir in the vanilla, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

4. Stir the sugar into the butter and chocolate, then whisk in the eggs until you have a glossy mixture. Add the coffee and beat until smooth. Then sieve in the flour and salt, and fold to combine.

5. For the marble topping mixture, beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth and then stir in the sugar and vanilla, followed by the beaten egg.

6. Spoon the brownie mixture into the lined tin and top with the marble topping mixture. Use a knife to cut through the topping mixture and create a marbled effect. Be careful not to over do it, or the marbled effect will be lost.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, but don't over cook as you want your brownies to be nice and soft, not dry.

8. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the tin then cut into squares. Best served warm.