Christmas Arctic Animal Brownies
2 Hours
55 Minutes Total
12 Brownies Servings
These cute animal brownies are such fun to make, decorate and eat. Perfect for keeping kids occupied in the run up to the big day.
Ingredient List
- 40ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1 box Betty Crocker™ Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix
- 1 medium egg
- 75ml water
For the decoration
- 40g desiccated coconut
- 1/2 tub Betty Crocker™ Velvety Vanilla Icing
- 5 white marshmallows, 4 halved and 1 quartered
- Small tubes black and white writing icing
- 100g Betty Crocker™ Indulgent Chocolate Fudge Icing
- 15g red ready to roll icing
- Cornflour, for dusting
- 4 large white chocolate buttons
- 4 large dark chocolate buttons, halved
- 16 small edible candy eyeballs
- 4 red sugar-coated mini chocolate beans
- 12 red sugar-coated chocolate beans
- 4 small chocolate coated pretzels, halved (see Tips)
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted oven)/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20cm round shallow loose-based cake tin, and line the base with baking paper.
- Make up the brownie mix as directed on the box with the oil, egg and water. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a round bladed knife inserted 5cm from the edge of the tin comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely in the tin (about 45 minutes).
- Remove the brownie from the tin and place on a chopping board in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Remove the lining paper and cut into 12 even-sized triangles (see Tips).
- To decorate the polar bear brownies: scatter the coconut on a flat plate. Spread 4 brownie triangles with 100g of the vanilla icing, covering all sides, apart from the base, of each brownie. Turn each iced brownie in the coconut to cover the icing completely. Press 2 marshmallow halves and 1 quarter onto each brownie for the ears and nose. Use the black writing icing to pipe eyeballs and blobs on the tips of the noses.
- To decorate the penguin brownies: spread 4 more brownie triangles with 45g of the chocolate fudge icing, just on top. Roll the red icing out thinly on a surface lightly dusted with cornflour and cut out 4 small triangles for the hats. Press onto the pointed end of each brownie. Use the white writing icing to add a trim and bobble to the hats. Place the white chocolate buttons on the brownies and press 2 halved dark chocolate buttons at the side of each for tummy and flippers. Add 2 edible candy eyeballs, just under the hat and press a red sugar-coated mini bean for the beak to each brownie. Press 2 red sugar-coated beans to the base of each brownie for feet.
- To decorate the reindeer brownies: mix the remaining vanilla and chocolate icing together in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Spoon into a disposable piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle. Pipe zig-zag lines of the icing to cover the top of the remaining 4 brownie triangles. Press two edible candy eyeballs and a red sugar-coated chocolate bean for the nose onto each brownie. Insert 2 pretzel halves into the top of each brownie for antlers.
Tips
- Freezing the brownie for a short while will make it easier to cut with less crumbs. For even-sized triangles, make a 20cm round template of baking paper and cut in half, then cut the half into a quarter and finally cut the quarter into thirds to use as a guide when cutting.
- Before you begin icing, turn the brownie over so you decorate on the base side. This way no brownie flakes will get caught in the icing when you are decorating.
- You will need a few extra chocolate coated pretzels as some may break when cutting. Use plain mini pretzels or mini candy canes instead, if you like.
