Description
These festive Christmas brownies combine rich dark and milk chocolate with aromatic spices for a decadent holiday treat. Topped with crystallized rosemary, glacé cherries, amaretti biscuit pieces, and sparkling edible decorations, they bring a sophisticated, seasonal flair to your dessert table. Perfectly fudgy with a shiny crackly top, these brownies are sure to impress and delight at any Christmas gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownie Base
- 200g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped
- 100g milk chocolate, chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 300g golden caster sugar
- 100g plain flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp mixed spice
Decoration
- 9 sprigs rosemary
- 9 glacé cherries
- 1 egg white
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 4 amaretti biscuits, crushed
- 9 chocolate truffles (we used Lindt lindor)
- Edible gold lustre spray
- 1–2 tsp icing sugar for dusting
- Few chocolate buttons
- Edible silver balls
Instructions
- Prepare the baking tin and preheat oven: Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm brownie tin with baking paper. Heat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or gas mark 4.
- Melt butter and chocolate: Place the butter, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Melt together in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each, or set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stir occasionally until fully melted. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Whisk eggs and sugar: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and golden caster sugar with electric beaters until pale, fluffy, and approximately doubled in volume.
- Combine chocolate and dry ingredients: Gently whisk the cooled chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the plain flour, cocoa powder, and mixed spice carefully until fully incorporated with no pockets of flour remaining.
- Bake the brownies: Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is set and shiny but still slightly wobbly when the tin is gently moved.
- Cool and chill: Allow the brownies to cool completely in the tin, then refrigerate until fully set.
- Crystallize rosemary and glacé cherries: Brush the rosemary sprigs and glacé cherries with egg white, blot off excess with kitchen paper, then dredge them in caster sugar until well coated. Let them dry on a wire rack until sugar is set.
- Decorate chocolate truffles: Place chocolate truffles on baking paper or foil and lightly spray with edible gold lustre spray to add a festive glimmer.
- Assemble the decorated brownies: Dust the chilled brownies with icing sugar to create a snowy effect. Sprinkle crushed amaretti biscuits evenly over the top. Poke the crystallized rosemary sprigs randomly into the surface (optional: cut the brownie into pieces before dusting with icing sugar). Nestle a glacé cherry or a gold-sprayed truffle alongside each rosemary sprig. Scatter chocolate buttons and edible silver balls over the surface for extra sparkle.
Notes
- Ensure the chocolate and butter mixture is not too hot when mixing with eggs to prevent curdling.
- Do not overbake; the brownies should be slightly wobbly in the center for a fudgy texture.
- Crystallized rosemary can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container.
- You can substitute the chocolate truffles with your favorite festive chocolates or candies.
- For best presentation, dust with icing sugar just before serving to maintain the snowy effect.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Christmas brownies, festive brownies, chocolate brownies, holiday dessert, spiced brownies, rosemary brownies, iced brownies
