Description
Delight in festive Christmas Tree Brownies featuring rich dark chocolate, a tender crumb, and a whimsical green buttercream decoration with candy cane sticks forming the tree trunks. Perfect as a holiday treat or gift, these brownies combine intense chocolate flavor with fun, colorful toppings.
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 (such as M&Ms for star decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan and line a 9-inch square baking tray with parchment paper to prepare for baking the brownies.
- Melt Chocolate and Butter: Melt the unsalted butter and dark chocolate together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water or use a microwave for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk Eggs and Sugar: Using an electric whisk or stand mixer, whisk the eggs and caster sugar for several minutes until the mixture is pale, mousse-like, and has doubled in volume. The whisk trail should remain visible for a few seconds when lifted.
- Combine Chocolate Mixture: Gently fold the cooled chocolate and butter mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, taking care not to lose the air incorporated in the previous step.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift the cocoa powder and plain flour over the chocolate mixture and fold carefully to combine without knocking out air.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Fold through the milk and white chocolate chips evenly.
- Bake Brownies: Pour the batter into the prepared tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until just set. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the tin.
- Cut and Assemble Trees: Cut the cooled brownies in half, then slice each half into triangle shapes to resemble Christmas trees. Eat any offcuts. Insert candy cane sticks into the base of each brownie triangle to form the tree trunks.
- Prepare Buttercream: Cream together the unsalted butter and icing sugar until smooth. Add green food colouring to reach the desired vibrant green shade for decoration.
- Decorate Brownies: Transfer the green buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a 2D closed star tip. Pipe zigzag lines onto the brownies to resemble tree branches.
- Add Decorations: Sprinkle colorful bauble sprinkles and sweets over the buttercream. Top each brownie tree with a yellow star candy such as an M&M at the peak. Serve and enjoy your festive treats!
Notes
- The candy canes are used straight by snapping off the curved tops; leftover pieces can be repurposed in Christmas bark or other treats.
- Store the brownies in an airtight container for up to one week, making them perfect for gifting during the holidays.
- This recipe is adapted from a BBC Good Food original with personalized decoration and ingredient tweaks.
- Use good quality green food colouring for vibrant and consistent color in the buttercream.
- Recommended piping bag and star tip for decoration are a standard piping bag and a 2D closed star tip to achieve festive tree branches.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
