Recipe courtesy of Emily Weinberger for Food Network Kitchen

Ghost Brownies

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 2 hr (includes cooling and chilling times)
  • Active: 30 min
  • Yield: 16 brownies
These Halloween-themed brownies provide a scary-good backdrop for spooky white chocolate ghosts. The ghosts are super easy to make with melted white chocolate and dabs of store-bought black icing for the eyes and mouth. Somewhere between fudgy and cakey, the brownies are spread with a salty-sweet chocolate glaze, which really makes the ghosts pop.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on at least 2 opposing sides. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Whisk together the flour, 1/4 cup of the cocoa powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Melt the butter and semisweet chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the granulated sugar, vanilla and eggs until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs, 20 to 23 minutes.
  4. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Use the foil overhang to help lift them out of the pan onto a cutting board.
  5. Meanwhile, microwave the white chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Place a piece of parchment paper on a large plate or sheet pan. Dollop 1/2 teaspoon of the melted white chocolate onto the parchment and use the back of the measuring spoon to sweep through the dollop to make a ghost shape. Repeat 15 more times. Draw 2 eyes and a mouth with the black icing on each ghost. Refrigerate the ghosts until the white chocolate has hardened, about 30 minutes.
  6. Just before serving, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth. Spread the glaze on top of the brownies. Cut the brownies into 16 squares and top each with a white chocolate ghost. Serve right away or store the brownies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.