Chocolate brownie Christmas trees

Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180. Grease a slice tray and line with baking paper.2. Melt butter over a medium heat, remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla essense, whisk to combine.3. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into the mixture. Add chocolate chunks and nuts if using then gently fold until just combined.4. Pour mixture into lined tray and place in the oven to bake for 15 - 20 minutes.5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting into tree-shaped triangles. Gently insert a popsicle stick into the base of each tree shape for the trunk.Place on a lined baking tray to decorate.6. Melt chocolate drops using the double boiler method. Once melted, drizzle chocolate over the brownies and quickly sprinkle on your decorations. Your decorations should stick to the drizzled chocolate.7. Dust with icing sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

See www.tradeaid.org.nz for more recipes*Find this ingredient at your local Trade Aid store or stockist.

These super-cute Christmas tree brownies are quick and easy and are a delicious and fun fair trade Christmas dessert. Ingredients: 100g Butter1 cup Fair trade sugar*2 Free-range eggs 1 tsp Vanilla essense3/4 cup Flour1 tsp Baking powder1/2 cup Fair trade cocoa*

200g Fair trade chocolate (cut into small chunks)*1/2 cup Fair trade chocolate drops*3/4 cup Roasted almonds or cashews (optional)*12 Popsicle sticks or similar1/2 cup Sprinkles or other decorations1 tbs Icing sugar for dusting

Tip: You can use small candy canes in the place of the popsicle stick for an extra Christmassy brownie.