Cadbury Creme Egg Chocolate Brownies

Easter is just around the corner, which means that chocolate will be coming out of our ears pretty soon. Why wait until Easter to eat Creme Eggs though, especially as they've been in the shops since Christmas, unless of course you've given up chocolate for lent, in which case you'll have to wait a couple more weeks!

Chocolate brownies are a very popular dessert in this household, especially served warm with vanilla ice cream. For these Cadbury Creme Egg brownies I used the same recipe as my Jammie Dodger Brownies but increased the quantity slightly as I wanted the brownies to be thick enough to surround the Creme Egg half.

Crispy on the top and rich and gooey inside. So indulgent and hard to resist.

If you want neat squares then wait until fully cooled before slicing, however if you can't wait then just grab a spoon and dive in whilst they're still warm!

Cadbury Creme Egg Chocolate Brownies - makes 12

250g butter

240g dark chocolate

325g caster sugar

4 medium eggs

80g cocoa powder

70g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

6 Cadbury Creme eggs, halved

• Add the butter & chocolate to a saucepan over a low heat and stir until melted
• Set aside until cooled slightly
• Whisk the sugar & eggs together until pale and creamy and doubled in size
• Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder
• Whisk the melted chocolate & butter into the eggs and sugar
• Fold in the flour, cocoa powder & baking powder until fully combined
• Pour mixture into a baking tin lined with baking paper (I used 11 x 7 inch pan)
• Bake in a preheated 160 degree C oven for 20 minutes
• Add the Creme Egg halves before baking for an additional 20 minutes - you want the top to be crispy and the centre to be a little gooey

Pan Fried Pork Medallions with Black Pepper Sauce

When it comes to feeding the family during the week meals can sometimes be a bit hit and miss. Some weeks we may have the luxury of a few meat based dinners, and other weeks they consist mostly of some kind of pasta dish, depending on how organised I've been with my meal planning. There are a few basics that I buy on a weekly basis so we're never short of enough food to cook a meal, but the meals can sometimes get a bit repetitive.

Pork of some sort is always added to my online shopping trolley, whether it's in the meal plan or not - either pork mince, pork loin steaks or pork shoulder steaks. Pork is such a versatile meat and it can be used to replace chicken or beef in many dishes, and one of the reasons I buy it so much, is that it's such good value. I use lean pork mince in bolognese and chilli, pork loin in a roast dinner or casserole, or wherever you may use chicken breast, and pork shoulder for pulled pork, roasts or wherever you may use beef, such as steaks on the bbq or in a stir fry.

Although I use loin steaks regularly I've never used medallions for a family meal, but when I was challenged to use them in a meal for the family I knew the best way to enjoy a quality meat such as these Pork fillet medallions was to cook them simply.

With a little olive oil rubbed onto each side, along with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, they're ready for cooking. They can either be pan fried in a medium hot pan, or cooked in a George Foreman (no, these things aren't just for making toasties!), and only take a few minutes.

This dish has a bit of a luxury feel to it, which we're not used to in our midweek meals, and despite being really quick to cook, it tastes a little bit special - the kind of meal you might enjoy on a Saturday night with a bottle of wine, but my lot loved it on a Wednesday, with a bottle of water, right before swimming and football.

The pork medallions are lean, making them a healthy option, and 2 portions (3 medallions each) come with a lean price tag of just £3.00 too, making them a great alternative to steak. The black pepper sauce also tastes a little indulgent, but because the pork is so lean I didn't want to add unnecessary fat by adding cream, so instead I like to make my pepper sauce with light Philadelphia soft cheese with garlic and herbs. The sauce is extremely easy to make, and as you can make it with or without meat juices from the pan, it's ideal to serve with vegetables  or even as a topping for jacket potatoes.

For further recipe inspiration visit www.lovepork.co.uk and share your recipe ideas!

Additional recipes of mine using pork :

Slow cooker pulled pork

Slow cooked Chinese style ribs

Pork, apple & herb patties

Pork, vegetable & Sobrasada bake

Roast pork & stuffing pasties

Pulled pork & potato frittata

Apple, pork & leek pie

3 tier roast pork dinner pie

Pork, chestnut & cranberry Fusilli

Thai spiced pork & Peppers

Commissioned post for Love Pork