In case you haven't noticed, 4th of July is one of my very favorite holidays. My family has celebrated at our lake house every year since I was born (and even before I was born), and I just have the fondest memories from celebrating at the lake.
I'm always looking for really easy recipes that will feed a crowd and really festive, and these brownies are the perfect solutions. The brownie itself is nothing fancy, just some delicious box brownies (Ghirardelli is my favorite). I added some buttercream around the edge and sprinkled on some mini m&ms. You can make your own buttercream (I have the recipe below!) or you can buy some from the store. You can also choose to do some fun sprinkles instead of the m&ms - whatever your little heart desires!
Scroll down for the full recipe!
PATRIOTIC STAR BROWNIES
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 box brownies (I used Ghirardelli)
- mini m&ms or sprinkles
- buttercream frosting (store-bought or you can make your own - recipe below)
BUTTERCREAM:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temp
- 2.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
DIRECTIONS:
- Make the brownies according to the instructions on the box.
- After the brownies have baked, set them on a rack to cool completely. While the brownies are cooling make your buttercream (if you're using store-bought, move to step 4).
- For the buttercream, beat the butter in a stand mixer on high until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and whipping cream and beat for 5 minutes.
- Put the buttercream into a piping bag (or you can use a ziplock bag and cut off the corner!).
- Using a star-shaped cookie cutter, cut star shapes out of your brownie.
- Take your piping bag and pipe a line outlining the stars. Sprinkle with m&ms and ENJOY!