RECIPE MAGIC!

XMAS TREE BROWNIES

We're thinking it's time to bring out Christmas sweet bakes, to bring out the cozy in everyone. Our festive chocolate brownie Christmas tree brownies are the perfect blend of holiday cheer and decadent dessert. Believe it or not, extra virgin olive oil makes for a double whammy of goodness. Switch from butter to extra virgin olive oil and you've added a "healthier" fat. And no need to melt the butter! These fudgy, triangle-shaped treats, decorated with green icing and colourful sprinkles, capture the magic of decorated Christmas trees.

INGREDIENTS:
10 oz dark chocolate (1-3/4 cups broken and ground)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup Buttercream Icing or store bought
Green food colouring

Other Decorations: See below

DIRECTIONS:
For Brownies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl add eggs, sugar and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and creamy. You can use a stand or electric mixture to do this. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, then add to egg/mixture followed immediately by olive oil. Blend with a rubber spatula. Gently sprinkle flour a little at a time folding into mixture until combined. Line a medium round baking pan with parchment paper and pour mixture making an even layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a crust is developed while brownies are still a tiny bit wobbly. Remove from oven and rest. If you bake for too long, your brownies will be dry. Carefully remove brownie slab from baking pan. Cut brownies into pie-shaped wedges resembling Christmas tree shapes. Decorate. 

For Icing And Decoration: To get the "green" tree effect either leave your icing white and spread green sanding sprinkles or add green food colouring to icing until desired tone is reached. For applying you can use any of these effects: (1) Textured piping: Use a piping bag with a star tip to create a textured tree effect; (2) Dipping: Thin the icing with cream and dip the top of the brownie in the icing or (3) Piping thin icing: by thinning with with 1 tablespoon corn syrup and use a thin tip for swooshes. [Given the crackling surface of the brownies, avoid spreading the icing with a spatula.] Let set in fridge until firm. Serving or placing in gift boxes. 

Other decorating ideas: 
Smarties as ornaments
Candy cane as trunk
Edible glitter
Sugar pearls
Coconut "snow"