Ingredients

For the brownies (base):

• 150 g dark chocolate (chopped)

• 120 g unsalted butter

• 200 g sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 90 g all-purpose flour

• 25 g cocoa powder

• Pinch of salt

For the chocolate buttercream (tree):

• 200 g unsalted butter (softened)

• 300 g powdered sugar (sifted)

• 100 g dark chocolate (melted and cooled)

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

• 2–3 tbsp milk or cream

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For decoration:

• Edible gold pearls or sprinkles

• Small edible stars (or sugar stars)

• Gold dust (optional, for shimmer ✨)

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Instructions

1. Make the brownies

1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a square pan with parchment.

2. Melt butter and chocolate together, stirring until smooth.

3. Whisk in sugar, then eggs and vanilla.

4. Sift in flour, cocoa, and salt. Fold gently until just combined.

5. Spread into pan and bake 20–25 minutes until set but fudgy. Cool completely, then cut into squares.

2. Make the buttercream

1. Beat softened butter until creamy.

2. Add sifted powdered sugar gradually, mixing until fluffy.

3. Mix in cocoa, vanilla, and melted chocolate. Add milk/cream as needed for smooth, pipeable texture.

3. Assemble the Christmas trees

1. Place brownies on a tray.

2. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and pipe tall swirls of buttercream on each brownie square, creating a tree shape.

3. Decorate with gold pearls as ornaments and place a star on top of each.

4. Dust lightly with edible shimmer for a magical finish.

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✨ Result: Rich fudgy brownies topped with silky chocolate buttercream, styled like sparkling Christmas trees. A show-stopping holiday treat that’s as fun to decorate as it is to eat!