Chocolate Strawberries and Cream Pie

After Easter candy sales depress me. Chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks look down from their discount shelves, never to fulfill their Easter dreams. I always end up buying a few (of the bunnies, sorry chicks but I'm not a fan) and then they sit on my shelf waiting for some higher purpose. And I imagine that being used in this pie would be a chocolate bunny's dream. Well, actually maybe not since they get melted down and spread over a pie crust then topped with fluffy cream and fresh juicy strawberries. But hey, at least they made it out of the store, right?!

*Disclaimer, yes I realize that the bunnies are made of chocolate and probably don't have "feelings"

Chocolate Strawberry and Cream Pie

From Taste of Home

3 ounces chocolate, divided or one big Easter bunny broken into pieces

1/2 tablespoon butter (can be omitted if using a high quality Easter Bunny) `

1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked (use your favorite recipe)

2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup Sour Cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 to 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled

1/3 cup strawberry jam, melted

In a large saucepan, melt 2 oz. chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Note -try to use a good quality bunny or the chocolate will be harder to spread when melted. Spread or brush over the bottom and up the sides of pastry shell.

Chill.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Spread over chocolate layer; cover and chill for 2 hours.

Arrange strawberries over the filling.

Brush with jam. Melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle over the top. Yield: 6-8 servings.

So good!

Light Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Another tasty light option today! Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins. The perfect way to utilize any frozen berries still lurking in the depths of your freezer. The muffins are sweet and tender with berries bursting through in every bite. The lovely thing about this recipe is that it is so very versatile. The original recipe calls for raspberries but really any kind of berry or fruit would be delicious (okay maybe not ANY kind, but most kinds!) The muffins stay healthy thanks to non-fat cream cheese and the use of egg whites. I used even less sugar than called for in the recipe, and some of the reviewers said they halved the butter and added an eighth cup of applesauce. Oh the healthy possibilities!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Adapted from Cooking Light

2/3 cup (5 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl.

Beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add vanilla, egg whites, and egg; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk to cream cheese mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Gently fold in strawberries. Grease 24 muffin cups or line with foil cup liners in muffin cups.

Spoon batter evenly into liners. Bake at 350° 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from pans; cool on a wire rack.

The Cooking Light website says that each muffin has 142 calories. If you make the adjustments I made (less sugar, non-fat cream cheese, omit nuts) they are even less than that! So eat two!

Enjoy your weekend!

Linking up to Weekend Wrap Up at Tater Tots and Jello , Motivate Me Monday and Sunday Showcase at By Stephanie Lynn

Best Chocolate Strawberry Pancakes

Hello! Today was Jose's last day here so I woke up sad sad sad! He had asked me to make "hot-cakes" for breakfast and I didn't want to make just regular everyday hot-cakes... I wanted them to be special. I googled best ever pancakes and found this recipe. It adds in strawberries and chocolate chips, yummy! Jose was a little skeptical about the add-ins so I made him a tester. He loved it! This is a very sweet, decadent recipe but it really is soooo good! We had maple syrup but ended up just eating them plain with no toppings because they are very flavorful, especially with the strawberries and chocolate chips. We didn't need syrup or anything because the pancakes tasted so delish on their own. The recipe makes about 9 large pancakes or a bunch of little ones. Enjoy!

Sunday Morning Pancakes

Adapted from Chew On That Blog

Ingredients

3 cups flour

6 tbsp sugar

6 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 beaten eggs

6 tbsp oil

1/4-1/2 cup milk

2 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips (milk or dark, I used milk)

Chopped strawberries

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add wet ingredients. Mix in milk to make the batter pourable.

Heat oil or margarine in a medium size skillet. Pour some pancake batter into skillet.

Add in chocolate chips and strawberries. Cook each pancake 1-2 minutes until golden brown, They are ready to flip when the bubbles that form on the surface begin to pop. Flip and let the other side become golden brown. Serve with a glass of milk and a sprinkle of love :)

Oh and if anyone knows why they are called pancakes some places, and hotcakes other places, I would LOVE to know!

On another subject, my grandma has been moved back to her apartment from the hospital so she is more comfortable. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer last week. She has 24 hour hospice care and we are trying to make her last days here as special as possible. All three of my sisters and my little baby nephew have come home to be with her for a while. Jose has also been here visiting me from Mexico. So, needless to say, I have been very busy spending as much time as possible with everyone while they are here. I have also been cooking up a storm for my family, but haven't had any spare time to blog about it. I will continue working on these blogs and hopefully I will be able to post some new recipes this week. These will include some amazing mexican recipes courtesy of Jose. I will get these up as soon as I can. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes for my grandma!

Have a great week,