Name: Santa Hat Brownies with Mascarpone
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 box brownie mix - mixed according to directions(usually with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oil and a 1/4 cup water); 6 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature; 8 ounces Mascarpone, at room temperature; 2 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar; OPTIONAL: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

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These fun and easy holiday treats are zhooshed up with mascarpone frosting. Use a brownie mix and a mini muffin pan to keep baking RELAXED.

Twas the day before Christmas…

It’s the day before Christmas, and the kids are home and driving you crazy!! They’re excited and a little bored. Here’s a fun and easy baking idea that zhooshes up a box mix of brownies into something festive. It’s a perfect baking project for young cooks (of all ages), as well as those non-bakers needing to bring something to a get-together. Santa Brownie Hats are a great last-minute quick & easy holiday treat to set out on the buffet table or bring to potluck or gathering.

If you have your own tried & true brownie recipe, go ahead and use it. I’m a huge believer in box mixes! They always turn out great and are a no-brainer. All you need is a couple of eggs and some oil. I stock up on brownie mix whenever it’s on sale or a BOGO, so I always have a box in my pantry.

Hack #1

If you aren’t inclined to mess with baking brownies, store-bought brownie bites (the kind that are round) will work just fine, and no one needs to know that you didn’t bake them yourself. Hey, the goal is to impress, not stress! Do whatever feels right to you – no judging!

Box of brownie bites — Short cut: Use store-bought brownie bites if baking isn’t an option

If you have a mini-muffin pan, this is the time to use it. It makes the perfect size without messing around with a cookie cutter. I have been making these treats for years, and one of my favorite hacks is to line the muffin tin with mini cupcake liners and spray them with non-stick or baking spray.

paper liners in a muffin pan — Hack: use paper liners sprayed with non-stick or baking spray for easy removal and clean-up

Hack #2

My experience proves this to be the best way to get perfect brownies with the least amount of clean-up. (The less clean-up, the less stress!). If you don’t have a mini-muffin pan, go ahead and bake them in a 9×13 pan and use a small round cookie cutter after the brownies are cooled.

Hack #3

Here’s another hack: Only fill the muffin wells halfway full! You want the tops to be as flat as possible, not rounded mounds. There will be leftover batter when you do this. No worries! You can make another batch. Or, use the leftover batter to fill an 8×8 square pan; there will be just enough. You can use this pan to serve plain brownies (for non-strawberry lovers).

brownies in pan with a cookie cutter — Use a 9×13 baking pan and cut rounds with a cookie cutter if you don’t have a mini-muffin pan

For this blog, I baked both to show you the difference. Another reason I prefer the mini muffin pan is the batter is all used, so there is no waste. However, when using a cookie cutter, I save the brownie “scraps” for munching. If you’re baking with kids – they will LOVE eating the unused brownie bits.

Brownies on cooling rack — Comparison of brownies baked in a mini-muffin pan and cut-out brownies.

“Fudgy” brownies work best

If you’re making the brownies from a mix, follow the directions for fudgy brownies (using two eggs instead of 3 eggs). The brownies will bake quicker than the stated time in a mini muffin pan. I started checking at 15 minutes. When the brownies are done, let them cool. Remove the liners, if needed. If using a rectangle pan, cut into small circles.

Prepping the strawberries

Strawberries in a colander in the sink — Thoroughly rinse the strawberries!

Prepping the strawberries is as simple as rinsing and cutting off the green ends to create a flat surface for the berry to rest on the brownie. The berry tip also needs to be cut off, so you have room to finish the hat with a small dollop of frosting.

trimmed strawberries on cutting board — Prep the berries by cutting off the stems and the tips

If you want to be extra fancy, you can hollow out the strawberries and stuff them with frosting. I don’t do that anymore. It’s too much work and, honestly, there’s no need. These treats are sweet enough. They don’t need any more frosting.

Fuss-free “fancy” frosting

Frosting in a bowl — Whip the frosting until light and fluffy

The frosting is delicious and easy to make. Mix the mascarpone, butter, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. It is the mascarpone that gives this frosting an extra special holiday touch. It’s the “impress” element!

Foodie Facts

Mascarpone has a higher fat content than “American” cream cheese and has a much richer, creamier taste. The mascarpone flavor is similar to that of cream cheese, ricotta cheese, creme fraiche, or clotted cream, but with a little more sweetness and acidity. If you can’t find mascarpone, substitute cream cheese. Although it won’t taste the same, it works just fine. (My hack for zhooshing up cream cheese is to add a half teaspoon of almond extract.)

Brownies on rack with frosting and berries — Pipe the frosting in a circle and place berry on top, pipe the tip of the hat.

Go rustic!

When the brownies are cool, pipe the frosting in a circle around the brownie and place the strawberry on top. You can use a pastry bag, piping tool, or a plastic bag with the end snipped off. It takes a couple of tries to get your groove and find a piping method that works for you. My recommendation is to go for the “rustic look” and forget about perfection — especially if you have the kids helping!

Pipe a little dollop in the top of the berry to finish off the hat. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy these fun and easy holiday treats! You will never go wrong with brownies, frosting and fresh strawberries. Ho-ho-ho!