Easy Christmas Present Brownies
This recipe for Easy Christmas Present Brownies is a simple yet festive recipe for the holidays. Even with no decorating skill, you can easily make these beautiful brownies. And, it's a great recipe for kids to help with!
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Hand Mixer (or stand mixer)
- Mixing Bowl
- 9x9-inch Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper Sheets
- Piping Bags
- Ateco Tip #6
Ingredients
Batter
- 113 grams canola oil
- 226 grams cane sugar
- 57 grams Dutch cocoa powder
- 57 grams dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup boiling water
- 212 grams all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
White Icing
- 284 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- scant ¼ cup milk
Blue Icing
- 71 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 tablespoon water
- ⅛ teaspoon Suncore Foods Organic Blue Dye
Topping
- ½ cup Unreal Milk Chocolate Gems
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer or even just a bowl with a whisk), add the canola oil, cane sugar, cocoa powder, and dark chocolate chips. Pour the boiling water directly on top of the chocolate chips and mix on low on until combined and the chocolate has completely melted and there are no chunks.
- Add flour, espresso powder, baking powder, and sea salt in that order. Mix on low until combined, do not over mix. Transfer to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to completely in the baking pan.
- To make the white icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the powdered sugar and milk. Whisk on low until combined into a smooth icing.
- Spread the white icing over the top of the brownies. Place the brownie tray in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes to set the icing.
- To make the blue icing: In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar, water, and blue dye and whisk together. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #6.
- Remove brownies from the freezer and cut into 16 squares (4 x 4).
- Pipe a cross onto the top of each brownie. You can do this so the “ribbon” of icing crosses in the middle or some on the side (see my photos as I did both!).
- Place chocolate gems in the shape of a bow in the center of each ribbon cross.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Tips
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- I use dark chocolate chips in this recipe, but if you want to chop a chocolate bar, you can do that as well, just be sure to chop it up. You can even use milk chocolate if you prefer.
- Once the boiling water is added to the chocolate, it’s time to work quickly. This will melt the chocolate chips and once they are melted you should immediately add in the dry ingredients. The water will begin to cool as soon as it’s added, making the batter stiffer. This is why it’s important to work quickly and don’t leave these brownies at this stage as it will just be more difficult to spread them out into the pan.
- If you want to omit the espresso powder, you can definitely do that. I would suggest doing this if you are baking these with or for kids. I wouldn’t want to give kids under my watch espresso, haha!
- If you don’t have parchment paper or don’t want to use it, be sure to grease the pan well! You can do this with a little canola oil or canola oil spray.
- If you are omitting espresso powder for kids, you can add a little peppermint extract to the white icing for a mint chocolate brownie. If you’d like to do that, add ½ teaspoon to the white icing and you’ll have a festive minty brownie that both kids and adults will love!
- I used milk in the icing, but if you want to omit dairy you can use water, coconut milk, or any other nondairy milk of your choice! That would also make these brownies vegan as well if you changed the milk. You’d just have to use a vegan candy for the bow, like Unreal Dark Chocolate Quinoa Gems.
- I chose to use blue dye for the ribbon, but you can pick any color you want! Same goes for the bow on top, I chose blue and green milk chocolate gems, but you can use any color you like.
- Gluten Free – Replace the all-purpose flour with a scant 212 grams (1 ⅓ cups) gluten free flour blend.
- Vegan – Replace the milk with coconut milk and the milk chocolate gems with Dark Chocolate Quinoa Gems.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 18 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 97mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 2gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 21IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
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