Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Aand here it is - mother's day! Known as the one day where everyone magically turns into a baker, trying to mix up something delicious for the one and only number one in our world: mom!

I've always loved the preperations for this special occasion and can remember the good ol' primary school days when we would spend hours drawing the letters of poems on coloured papers and then give our best to individualize those with all colours available ;-). It was fun!
And the moment you can proudly present mom your present just seeing the smile on her face makes it all worth it (from a childrens point of view).

Nowadays just like Valentine's day I think it's much more important to show your loved one's your appreciation and love on a daily basis, yet I'm always all in when someone asks me for a fail-proof recipe which he or she wants to try out for his or her loved ones. No kidding: this time it has got ALL the essentials: Strawberries, Chocolate and Cheesecake! And for an easy feasting these ingredients come together in form of a light bar - just grab it casually with your hands for pure enjoyment or eat it sophisticatedly from a plate with a fork - your choice or moreover your mother's 'cause you sure want to make these for her (but pssst... don't tell her how easy it actually was ;-)).





These bars have been approved by my whole family, so don't be shy to bring them to a family breakfast, brunch or coffee time tomorrow (or any other day of the year as these taste superb even on "non-mother's-day-days") - no kind of "you've-included-chocolate-and-peanut-butter-in-a-cake-???" kind of moments, I swear!

The base actually looks like a super fudgy brownie and yes, it's deliciously fudgy, yet without all the dense texture we all are well known to, because the base actually consists of a light cake batter with cocoa powder, which is baked until just right! Nevertheless it sure doesn't lack in chocolate taste! Casually swirl some cream cheese on top pre-baking and don't forget a good sprinkle of strawberries (or other fruit/berries of choice) for the fresh accent. Oh, and have I mentioned that these are ready within half an hour? So even if it's mother's day already, I am sure you can still deliver them to your favourite person in the world!

Happy mother's day to everyone out there!




Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- makes enough for an 8x8inch pan
Chocolate Base:
- 1 and 1/2 cups flour (I used Whole Wheat)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 5 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese

Cream Cheese Swirl:
- one packet (125g) Cream Cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp flour

- a handful of strawberries, sliced or cubed for the topping

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F.
2. Prepare the cream cheese: Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and flour until combined. Set aside.
3. Make the chocolate base: Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder. Then stir in the milk and cream cheese. You might need to add 2-3 Tbsp of Milk if your batter is to thick.
4. Pour the batter into a greased or lined pan. Spoon the cream cheese in 6-7 portions on top, then swirl in the cream cheese with a fork so, that it still stays at the surface, but is distributed well.
5. Sprinkle the strawberries on top and press them in slightly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set in the middle. Remove and let cool before slicing. Enjoy!