Description
Delight in these festive Rendier Hazelnoot Brownies, featuring a rich blend of dark chocolate, cocoa, and crunchy hazelnuts baked to perfection. These brownies are elegantly decorated with whimsical sugar eyes, red M&M’s as noses, and pretzel antlers, making them the perfect holiday treat that is both delicious and visually captivating.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownie Batter
- 60 g butter
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 75 g dark brown sugar
- 125 g dark chocolate
- 1 tbsp syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g flour
- 20 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100 g hazelnuts
Decorations
- sugar eyes (quantity as needed)
- red M&M’s (quantity as needed for noses)
- pretzels (quantity as needed for antlers)
- 30 g milk chocolate (for melting and attaching decorations)
Instructions
- Melt Ingredients: In a saucepan over low heat, melt together the butter, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, dark chocolate, and syrup. Stir continuously until the mixture is smooth and combined. Remove from heat and let cool slightly to prevent cooking the eggs in the next step.
- Beat Eggs and Vanilla: In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract vigorously until the mixture becomes fluffy and light, incorporating air to ensure a tender brownie texture.
- Combine Chocolate Mixture with Eggs: Gradually add the cooled chocolate mixture to the beaten eggs, mixing on low speed until smooth and fully combined without curdling the eggs.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Slowly mix these dry ingredients into the wet batter on low speed until just incorporated to avoid overmixing. Gently fold in the hazelnuts, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
- Prepare for Baking: Line a 20×20 cm (8×8 inch) baking pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it out evenly to the edges for uniform baking.
- Bake the Brownies: Preheat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Bake the brownies for approximately 25 minutes until the top is dry but the inside remains moist and soft when tested with a toothpick. Avoid overbaking to keep a fudgy texture.
- Cool Completely: Remove from the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan to set properly, which will make cutting easier and cleaner.
- Melt Chocolate for Decoration: Melt the milk chocolate gently using a double boiler or microwave in short bursts, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Decorate Brownies: Cut the cooled brownies into 12 pieces. Using the melted milk chocolate as an adhesive, attach sugar eyes to each brownie piece, place a red M&M as the reindeer’s nose, and fix pretzels on top as antlers. Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the chocolate mixture is cooled before adding to eggs to prevent scrambling.
- Chop hazelnuts roughly for better texture in brownies.
- Use parchment paper for easy removal and cleaner cuts.
- Customize decorations per preference or season for creative variations.
- Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European
Keywords: brownies, hazelnut brownies, holiday dessert, reindeer brownies, chocolate brownies, festive desserts
