Christmas Chocolate Brownies

Christmas is the season for giving!

One of the easiest gifts to give is a box of chocolate. It’s an easy gift to bring to any party or for that awkward relative you only see at Christmas.

Sometimes you will be the one throwing the party and sometimes you will be the awkward relative and you will end up with a lot of boxes of chocolate.

There is only so many boxes of Celebrations, Roses, and Quality Streets that one person or even one family can consume.

The thing is you can’t even re-gift them because everyone has so many of them! Chocolate may be an easy gift to give, but also very easy to incorporate in baking! 

My favorite way to use up chocolates is in brownies. Especially the chocolates that you don’t like, because the flavors just sort of blend into the brownies. However, you still add in the good ones so you get a good surprise when you get a bite of your favorite, like a strawberry cream. Yum! 

I discovered a brownie recipe last summer and have used a variation of it since then. Here is one such variation! 

Christmas Chocolate Brownies

150g dark chocolate

150g milk chocolate

250g salted butter

400g light muscovado sugar

4 large eggs

140g plain flour

50g cocoa powder

200-250g leftover chocolate box chocolates, chopped up

Heat the oven to 180C. Line a brownie pan or 8 in square cake tin. Melt the chocolate, butter, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Once completely melted, whisk in the eggs one by one until completely incorporated. Then sift the flour and cocoa powder together and fold in. Pour in prepared pan and sprinkle the chopped up leftover chocolates on the top gently press them into the batter, but not so they sink completely in. Bake for 30-35 minutes depending on preference of gooeyness.

If brownies don’t appeal to you check out some of the other ways I have used up chocolate for different holidays:

Easter Chocolate Cupcakes

Halloween Rocky Road

Halloween Twix Brownies 

Twix Brownies or Not Leftover Halloween Chocolate Bar Brownies

Last Friday I talked about my favorite five chocolaty things and the number one thing on that list is brownies. Then my most viewed post last week was 'How to use up leftover Halloween Candy.'

So, today I thought I would combine them.

I made leftover Halloween chocolate bar brownies.

Technically the chocolate bars I used weren't leftovers, because Halloween hasn't happened yet. They are Halloween candy though because it they were on offer for a pound so you know….

Anyhow, I do enjoy a Twix bar from time to time, so I layered my baking tin with Twix’s and poured brownie batter on top.

Now for these brownies I used a box brownie mix. If you are against the use of box mixes then any brownie recipe will do. I have plenty here on my blog!

Yes, I am self promoting. If I don’t do it, who will?

If you bought a lot of different chocolate bars to give out and you end up with loads left or if you take the children trick or treating and have an abundance of chocolate bars then use those.

A variety of different chocolate bars would make for very interesting brownies. I like the Twix for the cookie/biscuit base; it feels sturdier somehow.

I am probably just talking trash/rubbish, but it’s how I feel.

Twix Brownies aka Halloween Chocolate Brownies

1 package of brownie mix

            plus an egg, vegetable or sunflower oil, and water or whatever it says on the

            box.

20-23 Twix fun size bars

Line the base of an 8x8 inch pan with baking paper, then layer the Twix or leftover chocolate bars on the bottom. Heat the oven to the recommended temperature on the box or by whatever recipe that is being used. Make the brownies according the box instructions. Carefully pour the brownie mixture on top of the chocolate bars and gently smooth with a spatula. Bake according to the time on the box or by the recipe. I may not sound very helpful, but depending on what types of boxed brownies are used then the temperatures and times can vary!

Be sure to cool completely in the pan, especially depending on what type of chocolate bars used. Some of them could be very gooey and ooey as they are on the bottom. So, no matter how much a warm brownie from the oven is tempting, be sure to allow them to cool to avoid unwanted mess!

 notes: For these brownies I used Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie mix, which can be found at Costco. Costco do not approve of this post nor do Twix; not because they don’t like it, but because they don’t know about it. I just thought you might like to know where I get the best boxed brownies from and that Twix are great! For more information see my contact/policy page.