Christmas Tree Brownies

Last week, my friend came over to my place and we made Christmas tree brownies! It was a baking date that we had planned a few months in advance as a way to usher in the holidays, to rest and recharge, and to catch up with one another after our own periods of busyness. Needless to say, it was time filled with good conversations and a lot of fun baking, decorating and eating the brownies.

This post is more of a simple how-to and not so much of an elaborate recipe. Christmas can be a busy time of year and the holiday preparations can be overwhelming. Sometimes all yoi want is something delicious and festive, yet also simple to make. Fret not because these Christmas tree brownies truly could not be any simpler! Additionally, they are very fun to put together, and in fact, could even be used as a bonding activity with family (I foresee kids would love baking and decorating these!) and friends (just like my friend and I did when we made this together). All you need is to make a large batch of brownies (feel free to use your favourite brownie recipe or double the amount of my fudgy brownie recipe), slice it into triangles, decorate it and that's it! Also, brownies is a dessert most people would enjoy, so you won't have to worry about whether they would be well-received or not.

I hope you give these a go and enjoy every bit of the process!

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Christmas Tree Brownies

Makes approximately 16 to 20, depending on how you cut the brownies (and a small amount of brownie scraps which you can and should nibble on)

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter

• 226 g dark chocolate (at least 70%), coarsely chopped

• 2 tsp instant espresso powder

• 1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

• 4 large eggs

• 150 g (3/4 cup) white granulated sugar

• 150 g (3/4 cup) brown sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 96 g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour, sifted

• 35 g (approx 1/3 cup) dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

• 150 g dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

• 2 Tbs peanut butter, warmed (optional)

OR

• Two batches of this brownie recipe, or a large batch of your favourite brownie recipe

For the royal icing: (adapted from Baking a Moment)

• 1 Tbs meringue powder

• 44 g water

• 160 g icing (powdered) sugar, sifted

• Gel food colouring, optional

To assemble:

• Pocky biscuits, pretzel sticks, or any stick-like biscuit (this will be the 'tree trunk')

• M&Ms or similar type of round candy (these will be the 'baubles'), optional

• Edible gold glitter, optional

• Sprinkles, optional

Method

Make the brownies:

1. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium bowl in a microwave. Stir until smooth and melted. Stir in espresso powder and salt. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two 8-inch square pans with parchment paper. Alternatively, you could use two 8 or 9-inch round pans lined with parchment paper.

3. In a large bowl, whip the eggs, sugars and vanilla together until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Pour the chocolate mixture into the whipped eggs and sugar. Whisk until it is well-combined.

4. Sift together flour and cocoa powder. Fold the dry ingredients into the the chocolate mixture until just combined and there are not lumps of flour.

5. Pour the batter into the two prepared pans. Swirl in peanut butter if desired. Bake the brownies for 25 minutes to 30 minutes (check it at 22 minutes), or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out almost clean with some streaks of brownie. If there is still wet batter clinging to the skewer, bake the brownie for a little longer and check it again.

6. Once the brownies have baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before slicing into them.

Make the royal icing

1. In a medium bowl, combined meringue powder and water. Using a hand-held whisk, whisk the meringue powder and water together until it becomes foamy and white.

2. Sift in the icing sugar and whisk the mixture until it holds stiff peaks. Whisk in any food colouring if desired. Cover the royal icing with cling film until you are ready to use it. Place the royal icing in a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle (I used Wilton no. 2 round piping tip).

Assemble!

1. Cut the pocky biscuits or pretzel sticks into the desired length, about 2 to 3 inches long.

2. To make the Christmas tree shape for the brownies: If you baked the brownies in 8-inch square pans, this is how I cut them (see the photograph below). If you baked the brownies in round pans, simply cut the brownies into wedges and trim the bottom of each triangle to get a straight edge. (Don't throw away the scraps! Save them to munch on them.) Using a chopstick, gently poke a hole in the bottom of each triangle (not too deep though as the brownie might break) where the pocky or pretzel stick would be inserted.

3. Pipe a little bit of royal icing into the hole that you poked. Gently insert the pocky biscuit or pretzel stick into the brownie. Set the brownie on a tray and pipe royal icing designs on the surface of the brownie. If you wish to stick M&Ms on the brownies, pipe an extra blob of royal icing where you want the M&Ms to stick. You could also add sprinkles while the royal icing is still wet so that the sprinkles will stick.

4. Then, do not touch the royal icing or the brownie. Let the royal icing dry completely; it will harden as it dries. Once the royal icing has dried, you can now eat the brownies (yay!).

How I cut the brownies

#brownies #Christmas #baking #dessert

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate (aka probably the best hot chocolate ever)

It's December, which means I can unabashedly talk about all things Christmas-related! I'm so excited because Christmas is my favourite holiday (I think I have said this so many times by now). I can't wait to dive in to more Christmas baking.

The first Christmas-related recipe is not really a baked food, but rather, a warm, cinnamon-spiced, velvety smooth, rich hot chocolate. Now I know it seems like a bold statement to call this 'the best' hot chocolate. After all, the concoction of chocolate and milk (and sometimes cream!) is nothing new; the Internet has tons of hot chocolate recipes, ranging from classic, spiced, alcohol-spiked, and even vegan! Does the Internet need another hot chocolate recipe? Maybe, maybe not. Still, I want to share my favourite hot chocolate recipe with you because it truly is delicious and might even be the best one you've had. Furthermore, there's no harm having more hot chocolate, am I right?

Why do I claim this to be most likely the best hot chocolate ever? Let me break it down for you. This cinnamon hot chocolate is perfectly balanced: it's smooth and creamy without being too thick (some hot chocolates are just really thick, almost like ganache, which is not my preference); it has just the right amount of cinnamon spice; and finally, it is dark and chocolatey and not too sweet. Basically, it's perfect.

When making hot chocolate, make sure that you use the best quality chocolate you can find, since chocolate is the main flavour here. I used 70% dark chocolate from Callebaut. I like my hot chocolate bittersweet, hence I used 70% chocolate, but if you like it sweeter, you could use chocolate with a lower cocoa percentage or add sugar to taste. Just make sure to use chocolate that has at least 60% cocoa solids (or you could use a mixture of 70% and 60% dark chocolate) for optimal chocolate flavour.

Some recipes call for cocoa powder instead of chocolate, but I find that using melted chocolate yields a smoother hot chocolate than using cocoa powder. While you do have to perform an extra step of melting the chocolate separately as you heat up the milk, doing so ensures a perfectly smooth hot chocolate.

A few more things to note:

• I steep two 4-inch long cinnamon sticks in the warmed milk for at least 15 minutes to really bring out the cinnamon flavour. If you do not have cinnamon sticks, you could whisk 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon into the milk. Still, I recommend cinnamon sticks as the flavour would be more pronounced in the milk.

• While the cinnamon steeps in the milk, melt the dark chocolate gently in the microwave. I set the microwave to 'medium' and melt the chocolate in 20-second intervals, stirring in between. This ensures that the chocolate melts evenly and that you do not burn the chocolate (which would render it unusable).

• I pour the melted chocolate into the milk while it is simmering on low heat. Pour in the chocolate in three stages, whisking well to blend the chocolate and cinnamon milk together. This would produce a smooth hot chocolate.

That's all! While it seems like there are a lot of steps to follow, this hot chocolate really comes together in no time. It's perfect for a cold day, or anytime you want to indulge a little in a chocolatey drink. Enjoy!

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Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1000 g (4 cups) whole milk

• 2 large cinnamon sticks

• 1 to 2 tsp granulated sugar (optional)

• 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

• 226 g dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids)

• Pinch of salt

• Marshmallows or lightly sweetened whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Method

1. In a large saucepan or pot over medium-low heat, pour in the milk, sugar (if using), cinnamon sticks, vanilla and salt. Heat until it reaches a gentle simmer.

2. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the cinnamon steep for at least 15 minutes. Then, remove the cinnamon sticks.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, gently melt the dark chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between to ensure that the chocolate melts evenly. Continue to heat the chocolate in the microwave and stir until all the chocolate is melted and smooth.

4. Turn on the heat to low to gently rewarm the milk. Pour in the melted chocolate in three stages, whisking until the chocolate is completely incorporated and the mixture is hot. Add a pinch of salt.

5. Divide the cinnamon hot chocolate between four mugs. Serve hot, with marshmallows or lightly whipped cream, if desired, or just drink it as is! Yum!

#hotchocolate #drinks #recipes #Christmas

Cardamom Honey Cake with Chocolate Honey Ganache

I've been meaning to post this recipe sooner, but I've been experiencing a little bit of writer's block lately. It's a struggle! The words don't flow easily in recent days. You would not believe how long I have sat on this post. Hence I'm going to keep this post super simple and just go straight to talking about this delicious cardamom honey cake with chocolate honey ganache.

Would you believe that this is my first time tasting/smelling/eating cardamom? The baking world has been raving about this spice and only now I finally get to try it. Let me just say that I love it! It's strong and earthy and warm, and pairs wonderfully with this cake.

Look at how moist the cake is! It's so good.

Another thing that really elevates the flavour of the cake is that I added a bit of Earl Grey tea in it! It's not strong enough for you to really taste the Earl Grey; rather, it serves as a complement to the cardamom and honey.

If you can, use a good quality honey, since honey is the main flavour of this cake. You could use any honey that you like, such as acacia, clover, etc. In this recipe, I used orange blossom honey, a mild, floral honey with a slight citrus note, which to me marries well with cardamom and Earl Grey.

Finally, make a simple chocolate honey ganache and douse the cake with it! The ganache itself is so delicious, you could just eat it on its own by the spoonful (but really, you should pour it on the cake first).

Ganache pour!

Most of all, this recipe is really simple to make. In fact, you don't even need to whip out your mixer! The cake batter and ganache can be made entirely by hand. It really is that simple to create a stunning, delicious, flavourful cake.

Even if you are not a honey cake person, I'm sure this cake will change your mind. Make it for your family, your friends, yourself! Happy baking!

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Cardamom Honey Cake with Chocolate Honey Ganache

Makes one 10-inch Bundt cake

Ingredients

For the honey cake:

• 384 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

• 150 g (3/4 cup) dark muscovado sugar or brown sugar

• 340 g (1 cup) honey (I used orange blossom honey)

• 215 g (1 cup) vegetable oil

• 3 large eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 250 g (1 cup) brewed Earl Grey tea, warm (1 cup water + 2 Earl Grey tea bags)

• 2 tsp ground cardamom

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 85 g (1/4 cup) honey, warmed, for brushing on top of the cake after baking

For the chocolate honey ganache (adapted from here):

• 170 g dark chocolate, chopped (at least 60% dark chocolate)

• 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

• 78 g (1/3 cup) heavy cream

• 85 g (1/4 cup) honey

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Method

Make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Butter and flour a large Bundt cake tin. (I used a 12-cup capacity pan.) Set it aside until needed.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cardamom.

3. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and honey together until well-combined and smooth.

4. Drizzle in the oil slowly, pausing the scrape down the bowl every now and then. The mixture may look grainy but that is normal.

5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time ensuring it is fully incorporated.

6. Fold in the dry mixture in two additions, ensuring that its incorporated before adding the next part. Scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is well-incorporated.

7. Pour in the warm Earl Grey tea 1/4 cup at a time, making sure its incorporated before adding the next part. Pour into prepared Bundt pan.

8. Bake for 45 to 50 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in pan for 5 to 10 mins before unmolding and cooling on a rack fully.

Make the ganache and assemble:

1. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl or double boiler sitting over top of a saucepan of just simmering water, being careful to not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula. When everything is smooth, remove from the heat.

3. While your chocolate is melting, warm your cream slightly in the microwave (you want it to be a bit warm but not boiling). Add it to the chocolate mixture, stirring to incorporate. Stir in the honey, vanilla, and salt, and allow the ganache to cool for about 30 minutes before pouring over the cake.

4. Once the ganache has cooled, pour over the cake. Cut generous slices of cake and enjoy!

#bundt #cake #baking #dessert