Easy Peppermint Brownie Men
Baking with my children is easily one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. I’ve written about all the things we make together on this blog for many years. This year my son is almost three and he is getting in on the action too. It is so much fun to have him take interest in the kitchen. The only tricky part for me is finding baking projects that are manageable for him, but still interesting enough for my daughter who is several years older, and I can always find ideas here.
Only of the things that has been a hit for us this year are these brownie men. They are super simple to make and the kids love decorating and eating them. To make it easy on all of us I start with some Pillsbury™ Purely Simple™ Chocolate Chunk Brownie Mix with an added ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract for flavor. The three of us mix up the simple batter and bake it in a pan lined with aluminum foil. I love how quickly the batter comes together. It is incredibly simple and I don’t worry about is being filled with preservatives or artificial flavors. The stirring keeps them both occupied and they take a break to play while the brownies bake.
After they’ve finished baking I invert the brownies onto a cutting board to cool. Then we frost them with a thick layer of Pillsbury™ Creamy Supreme® Chocolate Fudge frosting. The frosting is thick and creamy and perfect for children to work with. There is more than enough in the jar for a tray of brownies so I don’t worry if some gets dropped on the counter, or licked off the spatula!
Lastly, and this part is the most fun, we cut out the brownie men using a cookie cutter and decorate them with candies. My son likes to scatter the candy on top. My daughter takes a more thoughtful approach and makes actual faces with details. Either way, they are super cute for our holiday dessert platter and totally delicious. I let them eat one for dessert after dinner and we save a few for guests who stop by.
This super fun and easy baking project is one of the many we enjoy during the holiday season. For more great ideas visit www.pillsburybaking.com for more information, tips, and recipes. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, or follow us on Instagram.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Company. The opinions and text are all mine.
