Stenciled Brownies {Tutorial Tuesday}

Edible gifts are big on my giving list this year. Today I am sharing how to turn decadent brownies into little works of art using icing sugar and stencils. Perfect for gift giving!

First, I whipped up a batch of these decadent brownies from the book Extreme Brownies. They were AH-MAZING! Feel free to use your go-to recipe, but then you won't know what you are missing... After baking, chill the brownies to make cutting a breeze.

I used a 9-inch x 13-inch pan that isn't warped and I lined it with foil paper - parchment paper would work as well. This is essential for easy removal in one piece - trust me. The top of the brownie looks amazing, but for this purpose, I flipped it over and used the bottom, as it provided a more levelled and smooth surface on which to decorate.

I used a ruler to score the brownie slab into uniformed squares. You can cut them and decorate each separately depending on the pattern and size of your stencil. I found scoring and not cutting helped to keep things in place. My mind often goes against what's practical, so do what works best for you. My method provided me quarters of six squares which were an almost perfect match for the stencil size.

Now grab a stencil, or stencils, a bowl of icing (confectioners) sugar and an offset spatula. Position the stencil on the brownies and sprinkle or spoon a generous amount of sugar onto the stencil. When I first shared these on my Instagram feed, someone asked if I used special sugar because regular fades. Yes, this is regular icing sugar. I really wanted the pattern to stand out and resemble royal icing.  So, I used that same technique I use for stenciling with icing - I added a little more than I needed and scraped away the excess.

I used an angled spatula to smooth and remove the sugar from the surface, leaving behind a patterns that resembled royal icing! I then placed the batch back in the fridge for about ten minutes, as the sugar was still doing its icing sugar thing and getting everywhere. I figured a little moisture would help it set, which it did! I then went along the scored lines and finished cutting the squares. And VOILA, Stenciled Brownies!

The white gives a winter wonderland-ish feel to these deep, dark chocolate gems - perfect for the holidays! Just think what Santa may be willing to leave under the tree with a couple of these and a glass of milk (wink-wink) waiting for him. They make great gifts, but I would totally understand if you kept them all to yourself.

More Edible Holiday Treats:

Deck The Halls Red Velvet Christmas Ornaments

Pistachio White Chocolate Bars

CocoNog Christmas Cupcakes

Stenciled Brownies {Tutorial Tuesday}

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 34 minutes minutes

Total Time: 49 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Brownies

Servings: 12 -24

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

• Vegetable shortening for pan I used coconut oil and applied it with a pastry brush
• 3 sticks/12 ounces unsalted butter 340g
• 2 cups /12 ounces 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips 360g
• 6 large eggs at room temperature
• 3 cups /1 pound 5 ounces sugar 575g
• 1 teaspoon salt 5g
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 15g, I used Rodelle vanilla bean paste
• 1¼ cups /5 ounces cake flour 112g
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons/4.2 ounces Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder 119g, I used Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa

Instructions

• To make the brownies, adjust an oven rack to the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Prepare a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. (shown on page xvi). Lightly grease the foil in the pan.
• Cut the butter sticks into 1-inch slices. In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the butter pieces over the lowest setting; add the bitter-sweet chocolate chips. Stir with a small whisk until combined and the chocolate is melted and smooth. Turn off the heat but leave the saucepan on the burner while proceeding with the recipe.
• Using a large whisk, lightly beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Place the sugar and salt in a separate small mixing bowl, then whisk into the eggs just until incorporated. Briefly whisk the melted chocolate mixture, then gradually whisk into the egg mixture until just combined. Briefly whisk in the vanilla.
• Place the flour and cocoa powder in the small mixing bowl; whisk together to combine. Sift through a medium strainer directly onto the batter; stir in with a silicone spatula until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a small offset spatula. Bake for 34 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean.
• Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, then refrigerate the pan for 7 to 8 hours, or overnight. See page xix for instructions on removing and cutting the slab, and for refrigerated storage (up to 3 weeks) and freezing guidelines.

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