Christmas Tree Brownies

This past weekend I had a Christmas party at my place and I wanted to make a dessert that was festive and easy for people to grab and eat. These adorable brownie trees are perfect for placing on a platter. The brownies are rich and fudgy, with chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows added to take them to a 10 out of 10. The green swirl is created using candy melts, with sprinkles for the trees decorations, and the candy cane serves as the trees trunk. 

When cutting the triangles, I lightly scored the bottom side of the brownies with a large, sharp knife first, so I had a slight outline which made cutting easier. 

After decorating, store them in an airtight container. The brownies also travel very well if you need to take them to a party. 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted
2 & 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 bag green candy melts
Sprinkles
Mini candy canes

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×13 inch pan. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar and vanilla. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add them slowly into the mixture, mixing by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon. 
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt into a medium sized bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into egg mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. 
4. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool pan completely on wire rack before cutting.
5. Once cool, turn out brownies onto a chopping board. Cut into triangles (cut in three rows, then cut in alternating diagonals). 
6. Break off the curved end of the candy canes, then press the sharper end into the bottom of each triangle. 
7. Using a double-boiler, melt candy melts over simmering water, stirring until fully melted. Pour into a zip-lock bag, seal and carefully snip a tiny corner off with sharp scissors.
8. Starting at the bottom of the tree, slowly squeeze the melts in a zigzag line, until you get to the top. Decorate with sprinkles. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

*Decorating idea adapted from onelittleproject.com