Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a truly fudgy, not cakey, brownie?

The secret is to use melted butter and a relatively low amount of flour. The melted butter is the key that creates that signature, dense, moist, and wonderfully chewy texture that makes for a perfect, sturdy brownie.

Q2: Can I make these ahead of time for a Christmas party?

Yes, absolutely! The best method is to bake your brownies and make all your little candy decorations a day in advance. Then, you can have a fun and easy decorating party with your kids on the day you plan to serve them!

Q3: Can I make this with a boxed brownie mix?

Of course! For an even easier shortcut, you can absolutely use your favorite brand of a fudgy, 8-inch round boxed brownie mix for the base of this recipe.

Q4: Can I make this in a square pan?

Yes! If you bake the brownies in a 9x13-inch pan, you can simply cut them into large triangles to create your reindeer faces.

Q5: How do I get beautiful, clean slices of my brownies?

The secret is to use a large, sharp chef's knife and to clean the blade of the knife with a warm, damp cloth between each and every cut. Letting your brownies chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before you cut them will also make them much firmer and easier to slice cleanly.

Christmas Reindeer Brownies (An Easy & Fun Holiday Treat!)

A festive and fun recipe for ‘Christmas Reindeer Brownies,’ perfect for a holiday party or baking project. This dessert features a rich, fudgy brownie batter that is baked in two round cake pans. Once cooled, the round brownies are frosted with a layer of melted chocolate chips and then cut into triangles. Each brownie triangle is creatively decorated to look like a reindeer, complete with candy cane ‘antlers,’ candy chew ‘ears,’ a vanilla wafer ‘nose,’ and marshmallow ‘eyes.’

Author: Evelyn

Ingredients

For the Brownies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups regular semisweet chocolate chips (about 12 ounces), divided
For the Decorations:
16 small chocolate-flavored candy chews (e.g., Tootsie Rolls)
16 red or brown candy-coated chocolates (e.g., M&M’s)
16 mini vanilla wafer cookies
16 mini marshmallows
32 mini semisweet chocolate chips
32 mini peppermint candy canes (about 2 1/2 inches long)

Instructions

Make the Brownies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment.
In a medium bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the tops. Let stand for 5 minutes to melt, then spread the chocolate into a smooth layer.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pans, about 1 hour. Once cooled, cut each round brownie into 8 equal triangles.
Prepare the Decorations: While the brownies cool, prepare the reindeer parts. Halve the candy chews and shape each half into a teardrop shape for the ‘ears.’
Use a dab of melted chocolate (from the 2 tbsp mentioned in the article, or melt a few extra) to stick a candy-coated chocolate ‘nose’ onto each vanilla wafer.
Cut each mini marshmallow in half and insert a mini chocolate chip, pointed-side down, into the cut side of each half to make the ‘eyes.’
Assemble the Reindeer: Take a brownie triangle and insert a candy cane into the top side for an ‘antler.’ Repeat on the other side.
Press a candy chew ‘ear’ on each corner below the antlers.
Press two marshmallow ‘eyes’ into the center of each brownie.
Gently press a prepared cookie ‘nose’ onto the sharpest point of each brownie triangle.

Notes

This is a very creative and festive way to serve brownies for a Christmas or holiday party.
The key to the tree shape is baking the brownies in round pans and then cutting them into wedges, which are then decorated as reindeer heads.
Melting the chocolate chips directly on the hot brownies is a clever and easy shortcut for frosting them.
Make sure the brownies are completely cool before attempting to move and decorate them.
The article references a ‘Cook’s Note’ that is not provided in the text.

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/christmas-reindeer-brownies/