Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies with Cream Cheese and Berry Swirl

... or should I just say, a gooey batch of heaven?Our mid-afternoon treat on a dark, stormy day. Sure to cure even the drollest of winter blues. I pieced together two scrumptious brownie recipes and came up with this magnificent concoction.

Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies with Cream Cheese and Berry Swirl
*mascarpone is a sweet Italian cream cheese and can be purchased in the specialty cheese section of most grocery stores, including Trader Joe's.

for the brownies:
1 c. butter
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 c. mascarpone cheese
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. flour
dash salt

Melt butter and pour over chocolate. Stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients, folding in mascarpone cheese last. Spread evenly into an 8x8 greased pan.

for the swirl:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
splash vanilla or almond extract

1/4-1/2 c. berry preserves (I used the Knudsen's cherry berry preserves from Costco)

Beat first 4 ingredients until smooth. Drop by mounds onto brownie batter. Repeat with berry preserves. Use a knife to swirl. Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes or until center is nearly set. Cool completely.