Failed! Maybe one of the reasons I don't generally follow recipes is because I inevitably don't get the results I was expecting. Unless a recipe is super well written, I somehow always end up missing a step, or worse, an ingredient. Like these Cream Cheese Brownies from The Mixer Bible by Meredith Deeds & Carla Snyder, the recipe is not very well written.

The problem with the recipes in this book is not just that some of the instructions are not very clear, but also, they are not very well formatted. This particular recipe only has three paragraphs of instructions and the first two are dedicated to a layer each. This makes it a challenge to follow along and easy to miss a line.

Also, I didn't like order of the directions. It starts with the brownie layer, then to the cream cheese layer, and finally assembly, which starts with 2/3 of the brownie layer. I would have started with the cream cheese layer, as that would require a smaller reserve bowl, and a lot less messy clean-up before starting the brownie layer.

In any case, it all started out great, I made the brownie batter and had just started on the cream cheese layer when I realized I hadn't put flour into anything. Really? I missed a line, "Stir and mix in flour in 3 additions, and"? There it was, the line between instructions to beat in the 3oz of melted chocolate and blend in the salt. I was able to fix the brownie batter, but that goof up set the mood for the rest of the recipe.

Onto the cream cheese layer. There is only 1/2 a brick of cream cheese in the fridge! Where'd the other half go? I don't know. I ended up subbing a soft goat cheese for the other 125g.

After that, I was no longer committed to the recipe, I just scooped the entire batter into the pan, poured in the cream cheese/goat layer, swirled it around and baked it.

I am not convinced that I would have enjoyed this brownie even if I had been able to execute it perfectly. The texture of the brownie wasn't chewy the way I like it, a little too eggy. The cheese layer was actually pretty good, I liked the contrast of the goat cheese.

Oh well, next time, I'll use a tried and true brownie recipe and make my own goat cheese layer. We'll see how that works out!

The Mixer Bible by Meredith Deeds & Carla Snyder is available at your local bookseller or online at Amazon.com/Amazon.ca