Halloween Brownies Recipes

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment with a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Coat the parchment with the spray as well.
• Whisk together the flour and cocoa in small bowl. Set aside.
• Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Combine the butter and 8 ounces of the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan and heat, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 6 minutes. Set aside. Reserve the saucepan and water.
• Vigorously whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl until the mixture is light and foamy. Stir in the chocolate-butter mixture. Fold in the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, bring the water in the reserved saucepan back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Set another medium heatproof bowl over the saucepan, add the remaining bittersweet chocolate and heat, stirring, until melted, about 6 minutes.
• Use the parchment overhang to remove the cooled brownie from the baking dish and transfer to an upside down rimmed baking sheet. Trim the parchment so that it is flush with the brownie edge and slightly hidden.
• Transfer 1/4 cup of the melted chocolate to a small bowl and keep warm. Pour the remaining chocolate over the brownie and spread to evenly cover. Cool until set.
• Cut off the uncoated ends of the biscuit sticks (discard or eat) so only the chocolate-covered parts remain. Cut each chocolate-covered part into 8 equal pieces. In pairs, dip one end of each small piece into the reserved melted chocolate and lay the pairs on a baking sheet so that they overlap slightly in the shape of a V. Repeat with remaining biscuit pieces until you have 32 total Vs (these will be the legs for your spiders). Refrigerate until set.
• Trim the bottoms off the malted milk balls so they lay flat. Set aside.
• Microwave the marshmallows in a medium microwave-safe bowl, stirring once or twice, until melted, about 30 seconds.
• Working near the brownie, dip the tips of your fingers in the melted marshmallow. Lightly press your fingers together then pull them apart, stretching out webbed bands of marshmallow. Carefully place on the top and sides of the brownie to create a spider web pattern.
• To make spiders on top of the marshmallow web: arrange the trimmed malted milk balls on the web cut-side down. Place a chocolate-coated candy in front of each malted milk ball, pressing gently to adhere to the chocolate. Arrange 4 sets of legs on each side of each spider body, pressing gently to adhere. Lightly dust the spiders with red luster dust.
• Cut the brownie into squares and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Make and bake brownies as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch square pan. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into 6 rectangles.
• Divide frosting among small bowls, and color to desired shades with liquid food colors. Use frosting, black gel or icing and candies to decorate as desired, using photo as a guide.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil, allowing some to hang over edges of pan. Grease bottom and sides of foil with shortening or cooking spray. Make and bake brownies as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch square pan. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Freeze in pan 15 minutes. Using foil to lift, remove brownies from pan, and peel foil away. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.
• Heat frosting in microwavable bowl uncovered on High 20 to 30 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds, until frosting can be stirred smooth and fluid. If frosting becomes too firm while decorating, microwave 5 seconds; stir.
• Top each brownie with 1 large marshmallow. Spoon 1 tablespoon frosting over each marshmallow to coat. Let stand until frosting is set, about 30 minutes. Use black gel to make eyes and mouths.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325° for dark or nonstick pan). Line 9-inch square pan with foil, allowing some to hang over edges of pan. Spray bottom and sides of foil with cooking spray. Make and bake brownies as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Using foil to lift, remove brownie from pan, and peel foil away. Transfer brownies to serving platter or cutting board.
• In each of 2 small bowls, place 1/3 cup frosting; add neon green food color to one, and purple food color to other to desired shades. Spoon each colored frosting into separate small resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bags. Cut off about 1/4-inch corner from each bag. Squeeze frosting into mounds over top of brownie, alternating colors and size of mounds.
• Decorate as desired using candy eyeballs on frosting mounds. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 24 x 20cm brownie tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a small pan of just simmering water. Stir until completely smooth, then leave to cool for 10 mins.
• Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until thick and pale - the mixture should double in volume and leave a trail when the beaters are lifted. Pour the cooled dark chocolate mixture around the edge of the bowl. Sift over the flour and cocoa, add the milk chocolate, and gently fold everything together with a spatula or large metal spoon. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the 'eyeballs'. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over the pan of just simmering water. Stir until smooth. Dip each cookie into the chocolate to cover one side. Stick a sugar-coated chocolate in the centre of each, then leave to set. When the chocolate is fully dry, pipe a pupil and red veins onto each eyeball using the icing pens.
• Remove the traybake from the oven, and immediately push the eyeballs into the surface in even rows - do this gently, so they're just pushed in slightly. Leave to cool completely. Cut into 12 squares.

Steps:

• Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line bottom and long sides with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Butter and flour parchment, tapping out excess; set aside.
• Whisk together flour and salt. In a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water, melt butter. Remove from heat. Add both sugars; whisk to combine. Whisk in cocoa powder. Add eggs, one at a time, and whisk until well combined and glossy. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until just combined (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with a spatula.
• Bake until top is crackly and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Let cool 30 minutes, then lift brownies out of pan using parchment overhang. Let cool completely on wire rack, then cut into 24 pieces (for spider webs, cut into squares; for mummies, cut into rectangles.)
• Royal Icing: While brownies are cooling, beat confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and water with a mixer on low speed until fluffy but dense, 7 to 8 minutes.
• To Decorate: To make spider webs, transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Ateco #3). Pipe long lines in corners of square brownies, then connect with icing to create a web shape.
• To make mummies, transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a small ribbon tip (such as Ateco #44.) Pipe ribbons of icing back and forth to create a mummy pattern, and decorate with candy eyeballs.