Holiday Cut-Out Brownies

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Boxed mixes don’t have to be so square, use them to make fun holiday treats like these Pillsbury™frosted holiday cut-out brownies decorated with mini M&M’S®!

By now my family knows to expect some kind of baked good from me at the holidays. But one of my favorite things to do during the holidays besides giving baking goods, is actually baking with my family, and with 3 nephews I’ve started incorporating more kid-friendly recipes into my holiday baking repertoire.

To start, I grabbed everything that I needed from the Walmart baking aisle, including a bag of M&M’S® and some Pillsbury™ Brand products (there are even a couple coupons available for you to use HERE). For today’s creation, I used a box of brownie mix, a jar of frosting, and a bag of M&M’S® Brand Minis Milk Chocolate Baking Bits resulting in a sweet treat that works as two gifts in one: family time spent baking and a sweet treat for gifting.

This recipe is pretty fool-proof. To start, you stir up the brownie mix with the correct amount of water, oil, and eggs as indicated on the box. Then, the batter is spread into a slightly larger baking pan to create thinner brownies ideal for cutting with cookie cutters. As much as I do love a good thick brownie, it’d be a bit difficult to cut if they turned out thicker than the cookie cutter!

Once the brownies were completely cooled, I dug out my collection of Christmas cookie cutters for this project. I may not have as expansive as a collection as my parents did when I was growing up, but I am working on it. For now, I have the usual staples such as a tree, candy cane, gingerbread, glove, bell, and a few others.

Now here is where my true talents shine. I am kidding because while I may have a knack for all other kinds of baking and decorating, frosting brownies clearly is not my forte. I wish I could say my nephews helped me decorate these babies but I have to own up to it, they were all me. Oh yea, I’ve got skills! Maybe when I see them next week for Thanksgiving they can teach me a thing or two.

Do you have any special holiday baking traditions with your family? Decorating cookies is a  popular one in my family but I think decorating brownies could be a fun new idea. What will you make with Pillsbury™ and M&M’S® products?

One year ago: Root Beer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Two years ago: Pita Breakfast Pizza for One

Three years ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Roulade

Four years ago: Tortellini with Guiltless Pumpkin Alfredo

Five years ago: Butternut Squash Lasagna

HOLIDAY CUT-OUT BROWNIES

Makes approximately 1-1/2 dozen (depends on cookie cutter size)

Ingredients:

1 (18.4 oz.) box Pillsbury™ Family Size Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix + ingredients listed on box

1 (16 oz.) container Pillsbury™ Creamy Supreme® Vanilla Flavored Frosting

1 (10 oz.) bag M&M’S® Brand Minis Milk Chocolate Baking Bits

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10×15-inch pan with foil or parchment paper, extending over edges. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Prepare Pillsbury™ Family Size Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix as directed on package using oil, water and eggs. Spread in prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until set. Let cool completely, cover with foil, and freeze 30 minutes.
3. Remove brownies from pan by lifting with edges. Place on cutting board. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
4. Frost as desired with Pillsbury™ Creamy Supreme® Vanilla Flavored Frosting and decorate with M&M’S® Brand Minis Milk Chocolate Baking Bits.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original