Easy, Yummy Christmas Brownies

Baking is one of my favourite parts of Christmas. I love making things with the kids and making old favourites together. These Christmas Brownies are so easy to make and they are always a hit in our house!

How to make Christmas Brownies

You will need:

Dark Chocolate

Castor Sugar

Butter

Eggs

Plain flour

Cocoa

Vanilla paste

Icing Mixture

A lemon

Candy eyes

food colouring

Mini M&Ms

Candy canes

Jaffas

Piping bags

Instructions

Use the brownie recipe below, but bake it in a round tin. I find that 20cm round tins are the best, the larger, springform ones make the brownies a bit thin.

Once baked and cooled (don't cut hot!), cut your round brownie into slices like a cake. I can get 8 from a batch usually.

Making Royal Icing

For the Christmas tree ones I use piped royal icing. To make royal icing all you need to do is beat one egg white, with ½ a teaspoon of lemon juice and then slowly add 1 ½ cups icing mixture until it's all combined. If it's too thick you can add water but absolutely do not pour water into it or get a little by holding it under a tap. You can either add it teaspoon by teaspoon, beating in between, or, even better, use a water spray bottle. Just the tiniest but of water makes a big difference.

Using Royal Icing

Once you have your icing perfect, separate it into small bowls and colour with your food colouring. You can choose what colours and how many.

Then get your piping bag, place it over a glass and fold the edges over so it's easy to fill. You can just use these easy disposable ones from any supermarket. No need for any tips either. Once you've put the icing in the bag (careful not to overfill!) tie it at the top. Then, using a pair of sharp scissors, cut the tiniest bit off the bottom of the bag and test it out. Remember, you can always cut more, but you cant cut less, so start small. You want to it come out like a string.

Then just pipe the royal icing in a zig zag pattern down your brownie 'tree' and attach the mini M&Ms.

For the reindeer ones, use royal icing to attach the eyes and nose.

Insert the mini candy canes as a tree trunk or antler. If you edges are a bit crispy then use a skewer or something sharp to help make the hole. If you want tips on how to get your brownies perfect there are some here.

Variations

I make these gluten free by just substituting the flour directly for gluten free flour - in the same measurements.

These Christmas Brownies are perfect for Christmas parties and gifts. I hope you love them as much as we do!