Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F and grease & line an 8-inch square baking tin.

Put the oil and sugars into a bowl and beat using a handheld balloon whisk.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat again to combine thoroughly.

Sieve the cocoa powder, flour and salt into the batter and beat it in until just smooth.

Scatter the freeze-dried strawberry pieces and the chocolate chips into the bowl and fold in using a large metal spoon.

Transfer the brownie batter into the baking tin, spread it out evenly and bake for around 25-28 minutes, rotating the tin 180 degrees half way through the cooking time. The brownie is baked when a cocktail pick inserted into the centre comes out with crumbs attached rather than wet batter.

When baked, let the traybake cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the cheesecake frosting by beating the butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar until smooth using an electric whisk. Next add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed until just smooth. Do not over-beat as the frosting will turn runny.

When the brownie has cooled use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out heart brownies.

Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle and pipe rosettes onto the top of each brownie heart.

Press half a strawberry into the frosting and scatter with freeze-dried strawberry pieces.

Expert Tips

Use 2 different sized cutters to maximise the number of hearts cut from the sheet of brownies. You will get 5-6 large hearts and 4-5 smaller hearts, depending on the size of your cutters.

Off-cut pieces of brownie can be chopped up and used to top ice cream or used in layered desserts such as trifle.

Leave out the freeze-dried strawberries for a straightforward chocolate chip brownie recipe.

Cut the brownies into squares instead of cutting them into hearts (you will get 12-16 servings).