F
rom sugar cookies to brownies, my daughter Kennedy has a theory that baked goods taste better in Christmas shapes. These are our traditional brownies cut into triangles and frosted into trees. We have tried to explain to Kennedy that a geometric shape doesn’t change the ingredients but she is convinced they taste better, so we appease her. Mint pairs so perfectly with chocolate brownies that if you are going to frost green trees…they must be mint! Try these brownies and you be the judge. Do tree shapes taste better than squares?
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups softened, room temperature butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 T. vanilla extract
For Mint Buttercream Recipe…Click here
Instructions:
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and beat until the mixture looks as though it has close to doubled in size.
- Add cocoa powder and mix until combined.
- Put all remaining dry ingredients into a sifter and slowly incorporate into mixture.
- Add vanilla extract and mix well.
- Pour into a greased or parchment-lined 9×13 inch pan.
- Put the pan in an oven pre-heated to 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I like to press on the brownies with my finger between 25-30 minutes. When my finger does not leave an indent, I know they are done. Do not overbake these brownies. When bubbles begin to surface the brownies are close…keep an eye on them to avoid overbaking the brownies.
- When brownies are completely cooled, pull parchment-lined brownies out of the pan. Cut in three horizontal sections. Cut each strip into diagonals to make “tree shape”.
- Fill mint buttercream frosting in a piping bag with a medium-sized circle tip. Frost buttercream in a zig-zag from the tip vertically down the tree.
- Decorate the tree brownies with sprinkles.
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