Christmas Present Brownies
By Camille Lowder
Approved by the Delish Test Kitchen

Yields:
16
Prep Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
There’s something about the holiday season that really gets me into the decorating mood, and I’m not just talking about setting up our Christmas tree or putting our menorah into the window (we’re a proud Christmukkah household). For the past few years, we’ve also made it a tradition to host a cookie-decorating party utilizing whatever cookie cutters, sprinkles, and food coloring we’ve amassed throughout the seasons. This year, I’m going to add to the fun and make these brownies too—they’re even easier to make than sugar cookies (thanks boxed mix!), and are just as fun to decorate. It practically goes without saying, but these also make for an excellent last-minute food gift, and not just for Christmas either. These semi-homemade present brownies are truly the “gift” that keeps on giving for occasions of all kinds, all year round.
We kept these extremely simple for photos, but just like Christmas presents themselves, there're many ways to get creative with your “wrapping.” Cut them into different size “boxes,” then pipe diagonal ribbon, different shapes of bows (a pom pom or flower bow would be easy enough), or just draw a festive squiggle. You can also change up your colors! A mix of red and green, pink and teal, white and blue (for Hanukkah), etc., would all be so cute. A wide variety of strange and non-holiday-appropriate sprinkles and icing colors usually makes it into our decoration options every year (we’re talking edible eyeballs or pastel Easter eggs), so feel free to do the same and mix them up into the ultimate abundant weird and wild present pile.
Made these? Let us know how it went (and how you decorated them!) in the comments below.
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Ingredients
Brownies
Cooking spray
- 1
(15.25-oz.) box brownie mix, plus ingredients called for on box
- 1 cup
(170 g.) chopped dark chocolate (60% to 70% cacao)
- 1/2 cup
heavy cream
Decorating
- 1 cup
(115 g.) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 Tbsp.
(or more) whole milk
- 1/2 tsp.
corn syrup (optional)
- 1/2 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
White gel food coloring
Equipment Needed
A piping bag, a small round tip
Directions
Brownies
- Step 1Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Line an 8" x 8" metal baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 opposite sides. Grease parchment with cooking spray.
- Step 2 In a large bowl, prepare brownie mix, then bake in prepared pan according to box directions. Let cool.
- Step 3Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat cream until bubbles form around edges of pan, about 3 minutes. Pour cream over chocolate, let sit 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- Step 4Spread ganache over brownies. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
- Step 5Using parchment overhang, lift out brownies and transfer to a cutting board. Cut off rounded edges. Cut brownie into 16 squares, about 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" each.
Decorating
- Step 1In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, corn syrup (if using), and vanilla, adding more milk if needed, until a thick but pourable consistency forms.
- Step 2Add a drop of food coloring and stir to combine, adding more food coloring if needed, until desired color is reached.
- Step 3Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with round tip. Holding bag vertically, gently squeeze with consistent pressure to drizzle or create lines in the shape of ribbons around a present.
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