Christmas Tree Brownies

Christmas Tree Brownies

This recipe was found under the D tab for desserts. 

I love brownies and have never tried decorating them so I figured I'd give this recipe a try. My Mom never made these because I'm sure I'd remember decorating a brownie. The recipe is really easy to follow and looks like it's from an insert on a Duncan Hines box. The hard part is coming up with a nice looking tree! 

Christmas Tree Brownies

(Makes 16 large brownies)

1 Package Duncan Hines Brownie Mix, Regular Size

Multi-colored decorettes

Tiny silver balls

Mix, bake and cool brownies as directed on the label; cut into squares.

Use a cake decorating tube or a plastic bag with one corner snipped off

to make a tree on each brownie with Green Christmas Frosting (recipe

below). Shake multi-colored decorettes on the frosting and put a silver

ball at the top of each tree.

Green Christmas Frosting

2 Tablespoons Crisco

¼ Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon vanilla

1 ¾ Cups confectioner’s sugar (sift if lumpy)

2 Tablespoons milk

Few drops green food coloring

Few drops peppermint extract, if desired

Mix Crisco, salt, vanilla and about ½ cup confectioner’s sugar. Add milk

alternately with the rest of the sugar; mix until smooth and creamy. Tint

green if desired, add peppermint extract. Add more sugar to thicken

or milk to thin if needed for good consistency to decorate brownies.

You will also need two eggs, water, and vegetable oil for this recipe to make the brownies. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Grease your brownie pan with shortening or cooking spray. 

I was unable to find regular brownie mix by Duncan Hines in my grocery store so I opted for the walnut kind. You can use whatever kind you'd like, but stick to the Duncan Hines brand so you can be sure all of the measurements are correct. 

Start by opening the brownie box and putting the mix from the bag into a large bowl. The box will let you know how to make the brownies, but I'll go through step by step as well. I opted for the "Cake-Like Brownies". Add 2 eggs, the water, and vegetable oil to the box mix. 

Don't use an electric mixer for this recipe. It's really easy to combine with a regular spoon or spatula. The box recommends mixing it for 50 strokes, but just mix it until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. It will remain slightly lumpy when it's ready. 

When the mixture is ready to bake transfer it to the greased brownie pan. Make sure it is spread out evenly so the edges don't burn. 

Follow the directions on the back of the brownie box for cooking times. I used a dark pan at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Be sure your brownies are completely baked by inserting a tooth pick into the center. If the tooth pick comes out clean then the brownies are ready to come out of the oven. 

Yum! Let the brownies cool completely before starting the decorating part. I have a granite counter top so it only took about 2 hours for them to cool.

When they've cooled you can cut them into squares. The box and recipe say it will make 16 brownies, but I just cut them large enough to decorate. Using a plastic knife works best so the brownies don't stick when you're trying to cut them into squares. 

You can either leave them in the pan to decorate or take them out. I chose to take them out since it would be easier to place them on another plate to display later. 

The next step is to prepare the frosting for the brownies. 

In a mixing bowl add the Crisco, salt, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of the confectioner's sugar. 

Mix it together until you have a lumpy texture like this:

Next, add about 1/2 of a tablespoon of milk. You'll add the rest later.

The mixture will be very dry and thick. Don't worry we'll add to it later on.

Alternately add the milk and confectioner's sugar to the icing mixture until it has all been used. If the mixture is too thick you can use more milk. If it's too thin add more confectioner's sugar. You want to have a semi-thick consistency since you'll be spreading it on the brownies. 

Next, add the mint flavoring (if you like the taste) and the green food coloring. 

Mix the frosting until the coloring has been completely incorporated. If the green is too light then you can add more drops until you get the color you like. 

When your frosting is ready to be used you can either use a frosting bag or create one by using a plastic sandwich bag. I used a plastic bag. Fill it a little bit with the icing, but don't seal it. 

Snip the opposite corner of the plastic bag with scissors. Be careful only to cut a small part of the corner or the icing will come out in a large blob!

Push the icing to the snipped side of the bag and start your decorating! 

Don't worry if your decorating skills aren't so great. Mine are nothing to be proud of! Start by making a Christmas tree outline and then fill it in with the icing. 

Once the brownie has been iced you can decorate it however you'd like. The recipe says to use silver balls at the top of each tree and then use multicolored sprinkles all over the tree. I just played around with the topping I had and came out with this:

It's a  little messy, but it's only going to be eaten anyways! 

I gave this recipe a 5 out of 5 on the yummy scale! 

The recipe was really easy to follow since it was just a brownie box mix. I also liked that you could be creative with the decorating. If you don't want to make the icing you can always just buy a tube of green ready-to-use  decorating icing. The brownies are very chocolaty and delicious! This is a great recipe to do with kids. They will love decorating and making their own masterpiece that they get to eat! 

Have fun decorating and Happy Holidays to you and your family!!