Recipe: Strawberry and Chocolate Cream Pie!

(taken from @hannahwaddelow)

Ingredients (9-inch pie):

Crust

1 1/2 cups digestive biscuits

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Filling

1 cup whipping cream

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

200 gram dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

10 fresh strawberries, halved

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 175 C. Grease a 9-inch pie dish.

To prepare crust, mix digestive biscuits, melted butter and cocoa powder in a small bowl, and mix until a moist yet crumbly mixture forms.

Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pie dish.

Put into the fridge to keep cool.

To prepare filling, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until it holds firm peaks. Remove cream from bowl and keep cold in fridge.

In the same bowl, use a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until it’s soft and creamy.

Add sugar, vanilla and melted chocolate, continue beating until combined.

Gently fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten the mixture, then add the remaining cream and continue folding until incorporated.

Pour the cream mixture in the cooled crust. Smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange strawberries on top of the pie.

Refrigerate the pie until set, about 3 hours, or preferably overnight.

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the pie before serving.

(original recipe from 'Oh Sweet Day')

Desserts like this are my absolute weakness. I'm a sucker for cheesecake, I adore chocolate and stawberrys are healthy...so that cancels out all the sugar and carbs..right?! This is just a really homely thing to make, and it's been proven to make you feel better on the worst of days, so whether you make it for family and friends or even just as a treat for yourself, you won't be disappointed!

Recipe: Microwave Mug Brownie

I think there sometimes often comes a point in your day where you suddenly become overwhelmed with stress and sadness...or become horrifically bored...or just have a great urge to procrastinate and that often leads us to want to have a nibble one something sweet, even if we have to worry about the calories later. These microwave mug brownies are perfect for those times and take all of about 5 minutes to make. Perfect. 

What you will need:
2 Tbsp salted butter
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1 pinch baking powder
1 pinch salt
3 Tbsp chocolate chips (it's best to use either full milk chocolate or you can combine milk with either white or dark!)

1 mug

Method:
Add bitter and brown sugar to a 12oz (or larger) mug. Heat in a microwave on high for around 45 seconds, then remove from the microwave and stir mixture with a form. Mix in the egg and the vanilla extract. Stir in the coca powder. Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir until well combined. Take your selected chocolate chips and make sure they have been mixed in thoroughly to the mixture (as you don't want them all at the top of your brownie!). Set your microwave on 50% power and cook your brownie for around 1 minute 50 seconds - 2 minutes 30 seconds (time will vary depending on your microwave wattage, so just keep checking on it to make sure it doesn't go too tough). Serve warm topped with your favourite ice cream, sauce and/or icing sugar (with maybe even a few more chocolate chips if you still don't feel as though all your chocolately needs are fulfilled!)

These brownies are so fun, quick and easy to make - you can't ask for much more than that!