Christmas Tree Brownies

Makes 1 dozen (12) brownies

Brownies

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Decorations

1 cup vanilla frosting

Green food coloring

12 pieces candy cane  

Holiday colored sprinkles

Mini holiday candies (M&M’s or peppermint pieces)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 × 13 baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
3. Place a medium bowl over a pot of simmering water. Melt butter and chocolate chips, stirring frequently. Remove bowl from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4. Add flour mixture to bowl and stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let brownies cool completely before removing from pan.
5. Make two horizontal slices across brownie, cutting entire pan into thirds, and then make diagonal cuts along each section to create triangle tree shapes—or use a tree-shaped cookie cutter to create trees.
6. In a small bowl, stir together vanilla frosting and green food coloring (5 drops of green coloring should do it).
7. Spoon green frosting into a disposable piping bag (or plastic sandwich bag) and cut off tip. Squeeze frosting into a zigzag pattern over each brownie tree.
8. Break the candy canes into 12 equal sized pieces and insert one stick into bottom of each brownie tree to form tree trunk.
9. To decorate trees, add candy topping of your choice or colored sprinkles.