Description
Delight in festive cheer with these Christmas Tree Brownies, featuring rich dark chocolate and buttery icing decorated with candy canes and sprinkles, perfect for holiday celebrations and gifting.
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
- Bauble sprinkles and sweets
- 1 yellow star candy (e.g., M&M)
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare tray: Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan and line a 9″ square baking tray with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Melt chocolate and butter: Melt together the 200 g unsalted butter and 200 g dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk eggs and sugar: Using an electric whisk or stand mixer, whisk 4 medium eggs with 275 g caster sugar until pale, mousse-like, and doubled in volume. The mixture should leave a trail when the whisk is lifted up, lasting a couple of seconds.
- Combine chocolate mixture and egg mixture: Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture and fold gently to combine, taking care to retain the air you incorporated during whisking.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift 50 g cocoa powder and 100 g plain flour over the mixture, then fold carefully again to maintain the airiness.
- Fold in chocolate chips and bake: Fold in 100 g milk chocolate chips and 100 g white chocolate chips evenly. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the tin.
- Cut brownies into tree shapes: Once fully cooled, cut the brownies in half, then cut each half into triangles to resemble Christmas trees. Save any offcuts to eat or use in other treats.
- Prepare buttercream icing: Cream together 100 g unsalted butter and 200 g icing sugar until smooth. Add green food colouring to achieve your desired shade for decoration.
- Pipe icing and decorate: Transfer the green buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a 2D closed star tip. Pipe zigzag lines onto each brownie tree. Decorate with bauble sprinkles, sweets, and carefully insert candy cane sticks into the base of each brownie as tree trunks. Top each tree with a yellow star candy like an M&M.
- Serve and enjoy: Allow the decorations to set slightly before serving. These brownies are perfect for festive gifting or holiday treats.
Notes
- Break candy canes and use only the straight parts for sturdy tree trunks; use offcuts in other Christmas treats like bark.
- Store brownies in an airtight container for up to 1 week to maintain freshness.
- This recipe was adapted from a BBC Good Food brownie recipe with custom decoration ideas.
- Use gel-based green food colouring for vibrant icing without altering texture.
- Use disposable piping bags and a 2D closed star piping tip for best decorative results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
