Easter Egg Brownies

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted ovens)/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20cm x 30cm rectangular cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. Let the paper overhang the sides to make removal easier.
2. Place the brownie mixes in a large bowl. Add the vegetable oil, water and eggs and mix together until well blended. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a round bladed knife inserted into the centre comes out almost clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Use the baking paper to lift the brownie out of the tin and onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely; about 1 hour.
3. Transfer the brownie to a chopping board and cut out egg shapes using a 7.5cm x 5.5cm egg-shaped cookie cutter. Gently push the brownie out of the cutter each time. (Reserve the leftover brownie pieces for another use.) If the cutter gets sticky, wipe clean or brush with a little oil to ensure a clean cut.
4. Divide the vanilla icing between 3 small bowls and use the food colouring paste or gel to colour the icing green, pink and yellow. Spread 1 tablespoon of the icing onto each brownie egg. Decorate as desired with sprinkles and coloured sugar balls.
5. Leave to set for 30 minutes before serving or store, covered, in an airtight container in a single layer for up to 3 days.

Tips

• *If you only have one box of brownie mix, make and bake following the pack instructions in a 20cm square shallow cake tin. You will stamp out fewer egg shapes, depending on the size of cutter you use. You will need about one-third less icing.
• Leftover brownie pieces make a delicious topping for an ice cream sundae!
• Egg-shaped cookie cutters come in many different sizes. Use the size or sizes that best fit your needs, but just remember the size will affect the number of eggs the brownie slab will yield.