CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

85% of the time if brownies are on the menu at a restaurant and i'm having dessert i will have them. I love me some brownies. Here is a quick and easy cheesecake brownie recipe to cheer you up if you are either having a rubbish week, fed up with this winter weather or you just love you some chocolate goodness.

For the brownie mixture you will need:

225g/8oz dark chocolate (minimum 70%)

150g/5½oz unsalted butter

3 free-range eggs

225g/8oz caster sugar

100ml/3½fl oz strong espresso

100g/3½oz plain flour

For the cheesecake mixture you will need:

150g/5½oz full fat cream cheese

50g/1¾oz caster sugar

1 free-range egg

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas-Mark3. Grease and line a 8in/20cm square cake tin. For the brownies, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (Making sure the base of the bowl isn't touching the water.) Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside to cool slightly. Whisk the eggs, caster sugar and coffee in a bowl until well combined. Sift in the flour and chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.

For the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese, caster sugar and egg until smooth.

Spoon the brownie mixture into the cake tin then spoon the cheesecake mixture on top and use a knife to cut lines into the mixture to create a marble effect.

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until just set. Remove the tin from the oven, set aside to cool completely, then cut into squares.

When all the above is completed all that is left to do is sit back, relax and enjoy.

Hope you are all having a happy Wednesday...

Katie♥

ROOM TOUR: NEW BEDDING

For a while now i have been wanting to change up my bedroom and the way it looks and i am finally really happy with the way it looks and has turned out. So here is what i did with my room and where i got everything from..

1. I am really into floral prints and that hasn't changed from when i last updated my room but this time i have opted for a really pretty purple floral duvet bedding. - £35 double duvet and two pillowcases and £15 for a double fitted sheet and two pillowcases for the underneath. - Both from Next.
2. Dark purple silk effect cushions really coordinate with the darker purples in the bedding, i bought two of these one for each outer sides of the bed. - £5.99 Each from Dunelm Mill.
3/4. For two statement cushions to feature in the center of the bed i opted for this creamy white faux fur effect cushion - £7.99 from Dunelm Mill and then a darker cream quote pillow which says "always kiss me goodnight" which i thought was so cute. - £9 from Next (last season).
5/6. For accessories i went for this white and purple ornament which says "relax, revive, rejuvenate" - £3.59 from Dunelm Mill and then seeing as i am a complete Yankee Candle junkie to tie in with the purple theme i have a medium jar in "beach flowers" which smells amazing - £16.99 from House of Fraser.
7. I have been wanting a really cute white makeup brush holder for a while now and haven't been able to find one that i really like and i finally did. It's a vase which had a tea light holder inside but i just took that out and replaced it with my brushes - £10 Rocha John Rocha at Debemhams.

Katie ♥

BLOGMAS DAY TWENTY-FOUR: A THROWBACK CHRISTMAS

Yesterday i was looking through some old photos with my mum and quiet a few of them were from myself and my sisters when we were growing up. So for the final day of blogmas i thought i would share a few past Christmas photos of me with you...

Me probably opening my stocking in my mum and dad's bed, i look rather thrilled NOT haha. I am more than likely around 2/3 years old. On the bottom me and one of my sisters building a snowman.

Me about age 5 on Christmas morning with my huge Tigger toy, i also had a Winnie the Pooh to match. On the bottom me channeling my inner Spock clearly such a weird child, also i am pretty sure i am wearing clothes here which look more like pyjamas.

I am not too sure whether this is a picture from Christmas but it was definitely in the winter time. Feeding the ducks but apparently i used to just eat the bread instead.

So we have come to the end of blogmas, it's been quiet a challenge doing a post everyday but i have enjoyed it at the same time...

Katie ♥  

BLOGMAS DAY SEVENTEEN AND EIGHTEEN: CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE CUPCAKES

Today's blog post is combined from yesterday and today, as yesterday i didn't feel too good when i got home from catching up with a friend and doing some shopping. So here is an extra special recipe for the third and final installment of my Christmas Baking blog posts i have been doing on Wednesday's. Christmas is just a week away now, exciting much!! 

So here is a recipe i used to create chocolate candy cane cupcakes...

To make the cupcakes you will need:

125g soft butter

125g caster sugar

150g self raising flour

2 large eggs

2tbsp cocoa powder

25g melted chocolate 

Cupcake cases (12 as the recipe makes 12 cupcakes)

To make the butter-icing you will need:

100g unsalted butter (Softened)

225g icing sugar (Sifted)

1tsp vanilla paste

1tbsp milk

Candy canes (12) or Decorations of your choice

Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. Place 12 paper cupcake cases in to a shallow bun tin. Place the butter, caster sugar, flour, eggs and cocoa powder into a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until the mixture is just smooth and then beat in the melted chocolate.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases filling them 3/4's full. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes or until springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the butter icing, place softened butter into a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar with the vanilla paste and the milk. Beat until fully combined. Spoon or pipe the mixture onto the cupcakes and decorate them with candy canes or as you desire.

 If you're like me and love chocolate, cupcakes and candy canes you will love this. 

Hope you are all having a Happy Wednesday...

Katie ♥ 

BLOGMAS DAY FIFTEEN: RELAXING SUNDAY

Sunday's are definitely one of my favourite days of the week. You can have a nice lay in bed, chill and catch up on some TV shows and watch movies. Or you can go out for a lovely Sunday Roast...

My sister and i headed out to lunch at a lovely pub called The Elm Tree in Heath, Derbyshire and it was so yummy...

They have decked the halls inside with decorations and a real christmas tree which was so beautiful.

There is nothing like a pre-christmas lunch and after eight cheesecake for dessert.

Now all there is left to do is relax, feel festive and watch The Polar Express on TV.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend...

Katie ♥  

BLOGMAS DAY FOURTEEN: GINGERBREAD HOUSE

As Christmas is just around the corner, i wanted to do something different what i haven't done before. So here is a recipe i used to create a small gingerbread house and gingerbread men.

For the gingerbread you will need:

700g plain flour

2tsp bicarbonate of soda

4tsp ground ginger

2tsp ground cinnamon 

250g butter

350g light soft brown sugar

2 eggs

8tbsp golden syrup 

For the royal icing (to act as glue for the gingerbread house) you will need:

1 egg white (only)

200g icing sugar (sieved)

squeeze lemon juice

Sweets/Candy to decorate as you desire

Template design method:

Take some thin paper/card and cut out your desired design.

The measurements used for this gingerbread house are: 

Base: 20cm/20cm

Sides: 12cm/18cm  x2

Front: 17.5cm/17.5cm/17.5cm (Triangle)

Back: 17.5cm/17.5cm/17.5cm (Triangle)

Gingerbread method:

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon together into a bowl. Add the butter and mix to breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

In a separate bowl lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, add to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture binds together. Empty the dough out, knead lightly until smooth, wrap in cling film over night in the fridge. 

Next day...

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/180c/350f. Line two baking trays with greased-proof paper. Roll out the dough to about half a cm thick. Cut out shapes using the templates made, place gingerbread on the baking trays and bake for 15/20 minutes until golden brown. Once out of the oven leave to cool in the trays for about 5 minutes, then place the templates back onto the shapes and trim to size whilst still warm (as they might have spread out whilst in the oven). Then transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely (over night if possible). 

As i had some gingerbread dough left i decided to make gingerbread men. All i did to do this was roll out the left over dough and use a gingerbread man cutter. Place the gingerbread men on a greased-proof papered tray and cook in the oven for 10/15 minutes until golden brown.

Next day...

Time to decorate. To make the royal icing, whisk the egg white for a few minutes until slightly frothy. Slowly add the sieved icing sugar a little at a time beating into the egg white each time. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and beat until all the icing sugar has been incorporated. Then you are all ready to stick the house together.

Put the base of the house down onto a board as this will make it easier for you to turn and move the house around whilst decorating. Use the icing to glue the sides in place, then the front and the back. Then all that is left to do is have some fun decorating your house as you desire.  

I was really pleased with the way it turned out. Have a go yourself and have some fun...

Katie ♥