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 your frosting a day in advance. Then, you can have a fun and easy decorating party 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 recipe without a piping bag?

Yes! If you don't have a piping bag, you can easily use a large ziptop bag. Simply fill the bag with your frosting, press out the excess air, and then snip a small corner off the bottom to create a simple, homemade piping bag. You can also simply spread the frosting on with a small knife for a more rustic, "snow-covered" look.

Q5: Why do you add a drop of red food coloring to the green frosting?

This is a brilliant, professional artist's trick! Red is the opposite of green on the color wheel. By adding just a single, tiny drop of red to your green frosting, you are neutralizing and deepening the color, which is the key that transforms it from a bright, artificial-looking green into a much more beautiful and realistic "forest" or "pine tree" green.

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

A festive and fun recipe for ‘Christmas Brownie Trees,’ 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 cut into triangles to resemble Christmas trees. Each ‘tree’ is given a candy cane ‘trunk’ and then decorated with green-tinted American buttercream frosting, piped in a zig-zag motion to look like evergreen branches. The trees are finished with sanding sugar and candy ‘ornaments.’

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
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
For the Frosting & Decoration:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of fine salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 tablespoon whole milk
24 drops green food coloring & 1 drop red food coloring
Sixteen 1 1/2-inch pieces of candy cane
White and gold sanding sugar
Small candy-coated chocolates (e.g., Sno-Caps)

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, granulated sugar, vanilla, and eggs.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in 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. Let the brownies cool completely in the pans, about 1 hour.
Once cooled, cut each round brownie into 8 equal triangles.
Make the Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the confectioners’ sugar, room-temperature butter, and salt. Mix on low speed, then add the vanilla and milk and beat on medium-high until smooth and fluffy. Add the green and red food coloring and mix for 1 minute until the frosting is an even green color.
Assemble the Trees: Using a knife, poke a small hole in the bottom (wide) edge of each brownie triangle. Insert a candy cane piece into each hole to create a ‘trunk.’
Transfer the green frosting to a piping bag with a small tip. Using a back-and-forth zig-zag motion, pipe the frosting from the base to the tip of each brownie tree to resemble branches.
Decorate the ‘trees’ with sanding sugars and candy-coated chocolates as desired.

Notes

Special Equipment: The recipe recommends a piping bag for decorating.
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.
Make sure the brownies are completely cool before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
The article references a ‘Cook’s Note’ that is not provided in the text.

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