Happy New Year to all of SurreyK’s readers. To be honest I always feel a bit of a fraud whenever I say that phrase to anyone because January isn’t the easiest of months is it? The Christmas and New Year cheer are in the distant past, your broke, the days are short and grey, it’s cold and dark and spring still seems so far away. And if you’re prone to seasonal affective disorder like I am, you will be struggling from the lack of light, which makes January a real challenge every year.
So how do I soothe myself you ask? By cooking. It’s the reason I started this blog in the first place. For me cooking is like meditation. My yoga teacher is always talking about feeling centred and growing strong roots and for me the kitchen is where I retreat to when life gets a little bumpy.
So here is a favourite recipe of mine to banish away the January Blues.
Ingredients
200g butter
300g caster sugar
4 large eggs
70g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
410g can pear halves
A handful of fresh raspberries
100g plain dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
25g flaked almonds

http://www.surreyKitchen.com Chocolate and Pear Pudding.
Preparation Method:
- Heat oven to 190C/170Cfan/gas5. Grease a roughly 20x30cm shallow ovenproof dish.
- Add the butter to a saucepan and place over a low heat until just melted. Remove the butter from the heat and mix in the sugar and the eggs with a wooden spoon.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder on top of the egg mixture, then beat until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place pears into the chocolate batter. Scatter in the raspberries.
- Put the chocolate on a chopping board and cut into small pieces with a knife. Scatter the chocolate pieces over the batter and sprinkle with almonds.(You can freeze pudding at this stage to cook at a later date.)
- Bake in the oven for approx 30 minutes. Serve warm with cream, ice cream or custard.
When you’re feeling low, it’s really important to remind yourself that life is full of beauty and opportunities for enjoyment, if you look out for them. It may be as simple as enjoying a warming cup of tea on a cold day, the sound of your child laughing or having a chat with an old friend.
Happy New Year to all our readers! Emma, Ross and Alice xxx
Looks great. I am going to make this. Thank you 🙂
You are very welcome. I am glad you liked my recipe. Happy New Year to you and your family. Emma xx
This looks delicious. Keep at it when you can. I’m sure you’ve got your hands full. But I’m really glad you addressed that January is kind of the worst. New Years kind of stinks as a holiday 🙂 Be well, Emma!
Thanks so much for your kind words. I think people like honesty in blogs and I believe January is a difficult time for many people. Happy New Year to you and your family (she says with sincerity!) Lol! xx
This looks really yummy Emma, what a unique combination of flavors, I love it! Yes, I agree that January can be a tough month. It’s incredibly cloudy here in Michigan which doesn’t help things out. Matthew got a sun lamp for Christmas and I’m curious to see if it makes a difference.
Hi Heather, I hope you and the family are well. I have a lumie SAD light too and I do believe that it makes a difference. Hopefully your husbands will beneficial too. Take care. Emma xx
I’m with you on the January blahs… but I am sure that delightful pudding made a bright spot in your day!
I’ve just put another pear and chocolate pudding in the oven as my husband and I are both so fed up with January. I’m sure it would brighten your day too if you wanted to try the recipe at home. Emma xx
The pudding looks beautiful! I hope you are able to get away for a few days to Spain. Annabelle xx
I wish Annabelle! I’m afraid I will be stuck with the miserable weather this year. Reading always keeps me going as well as cooking of course. Nothing like curling up by the fire with a good book on a miserable day. I hope there is some sun where you are. Emma xx
NYC is sunny but with Siberian-type wind chills it’s too cold to enjoy it! Let me know if you are reading anything good. Annabelle xx
I feel so badly for you because I actually hate the sun! It’s too hot for me, even if it’s 50 degrees outside, and I really dislike sunlight coming through my home’s Windows. I can’t even eat outside in direct sun. Dreary, rainy and overcast days are my favorite! I’d make this pudding any time of the year, though. It sounds wonderful!!!
I’m always amazed when I meet people who love the cold weather and are not fond of the sun. My yoga teacher is the same and she is even Spanish. To be honest my husband isn’t a fan of the sun either. His favourite season is Autumn. I could never live anywhere thats colder than the UK. I hope you and the family are well Mimi. xx
I love autumn! And early spring. But it’s also extremely hot and humid where I live, which is terribly unpleasant for me. So it makes the hot days even worse, especially when the sun it out, which is usually is!!! Kiss Alice and Miles for me!
I’m very sad to say Mimi that we lost Miles on the 7th December. He had a heart attack and I found him under the Christmas tree. We are still getting over it. He was such a character and we will always miss him. I am going to post a tribute post soon as he was such a big part of SurreyKitchen. xx
Oh no. He wasn’t old, was he?
January definitely isn’t the best month around. Such a let down after all the holiday hype. I remember living further north where the days are super short and freezing cold. Luckily I moved south and the days are a little longer and much warmer, it makes January much more tolerable. This pudding looks fantastic and would definitely cheer me up!
I’m pleased you got to move South. I could never live anywhere that is colder than the UK. How was your Christmas and the New Year? Love to you and the family. Emma xx
Happy 2016, Emma! This pudding looks perfect for the cold weather we’re (finally) having here in California!
This looks delicious! I will try this one:)