Description
Delight in festive fun with these Christmas Tree Brownies, featuring rich chocolatey layers decorated with vibrant green buttercream and colorful sprinkles. Perfect for holiday gatherings or as charming edible gifts, these brownies combine a moist cocoa base with creamy decorations and festive candy canes for an eye-catching treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownies
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 4 medium eggs
- 275 g caster sugar
- 100 g plain flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 100 g milk chocolate chips
- 100 g white chocolate chips
Decorations
- 10 candy canes
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 200 g icing sugar
- Green food colouring
- Sprinkles
- Sweets (e.g. M&M for star toppings)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan and line a 9-inch square baking tray with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Melt chocolate mixture: Melt together the unsalted butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk eggs and sugar: Using an electric whisk or stand mixer, whisk the eggs and caster sugar for a few minutes until pale, mousse-like, and doubled in volume. It should leave a trail when the whisk is lifted.
- Combine chocolate with eggs: Pour the cooled chocolate and butter mixture over the whisked eggs and fold carefully without knocking out the air for a light texture.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift cocoa powder and plain flour on top of the chocolate mixture, and fold gently until fully combined but still airy.
- Fold in chocolate chips: Gently fold in the milk chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.
- Bake brownies: Pour batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes. Once baked, allow brownies to cool completely in the tin.
- Shape brownies: Cut the cooled brownies into tree shapes by halving the tray and slicing each half into triangles. Eat the offcuts as treat.
- Insert candy cane sticks: Carefully insert candy cane sticks into the base of each brownie tree to act as trunks.
- Make buttercream: Cream together unsalted butter and icing sugar until smooth. Add green food colouring to reach desired shade of green for decorating.
- Decorate brownies: Transfer green buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a 2D closed star tip and pipe zigzag lines on each brownie tree.
- Add festive toppings: Decorate with sprinkles, sweets, and place a yellow star-shaped sweet (like an M&M) at the top of each brownie tree.
- Enjoy and store: Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
- Use the straight part of candy canes as sticks by snapping off the curved tops; leftover candy cane pieces can be used in other recipes like Christmas bark.
- These brownies keep well in an airtight container for 1 week, making them great for gifting.
- This recipe is adapted from a BBC Good Food brownie recipe with customized decorations.
- For best piping results, use a 2D closed star tip and sturdy piping bags.
- Adjust green food colouring intensity to achieve desired decorative color.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
