Food / 13 December, 2017 / My Baba

Christmas Tree Brownie Pops

Preparation Time: 50 minutes plus cooling and storing

Cooking Time: 35 minutes including melting chocolate

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 100g (3 ½ oz) Dr. Oetker Fine Cooks’ 54% Dark Chocolate
• 125g (4 ½ oz) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 100g (3 ½ oz) dark soft brown sugar
• 2 medium eggs, beaten
• 115g (4oz) plain flour
• 1 sachet/ 5g (1 tsp) Dr. Oetker Baking Powder

To decorate:

• 8 x Dr. Oetker Giant Chocolate Stars
• Dr. Oetker Gold Shimmer Spray
• 25g (1oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 50g (2oz) icing sugar
• Dr. Oetker Gel Food Colour Lime Green
• 2ml (1/2 tsp) Dr. Oetker American Peppermint Extract
• Dr. Oetker Chocolate Beans

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C (150 C fan oven, 325 F, gas 3). Grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) square cake tin. Break up the 54% Dark Chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl with the butter. Place over a saucepan of barely simmering water until melted. Remove from the water and stir in the sugar. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Whisk in the eggs to make a thick and glossy mixture. Sift the flour and baking powder on top and carefully mix together.
3. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes until risen and lightly crusty on top. Leave to cool completely in the tin (the cake will sink slightly) then remove and wrap in baking parchment and foil. Store for 24 hours to allow flavour and texture to develop.
4. The next day, unwrap the brownie and cut in half using a sharp knife. Separate each brownie half. Working on one half at a time, starting from a corner, cut diagonally, up and down, across the cake, to make 4 long sided triangles, each with a bottom edge of approx. 6.5cm (2 ½ inch) wide.
5. Repeat with the other half of the brownie slab. Keep the leftovers for cake pops or truffles, or cut up into small pieces and serve as brownie “bites”.
6. To decorate, lay 8 Chocolate Stars on a sheet of baking parchment. Shake the can of Shimmer Spray as directed and then lightly spray the Stars all over, and let them dry. Spray again in a fine layer, and leave them to dry. Continue building up the layers of Gold Spray until they are well covered. Leave them to dry completely.
7. Meanwhile, put the butter in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Gradually sieve and mix in the icing sugar to make a smooth, creamy icing. Squeeze in approx. 30 drops Green Food Colour Gel and mix to make a bright green shade. Add Peppermint Extract to taste.
8. Transfer the icing to a small piping bag fitted with a 1/2cm (1/4inch) wide plain nozzle and zig-zag pipe across the top of each brownie. Decorate with Chocolate Beans and top each with a gold Chocolate Star. Carefully push a lolly stick into the bottom of each to resemble the trunk.

Your festive pops are now ready to serve and enjoy!

Recipe from Dr. Oetker