Look no further for a Hocus Pocus dessert recipe! These fudgey brownies are decorated to look just like Winifred’s spellbook and are perfect for Halloween!
Break out the fall candles, the pumpkins, the orange twinkly lights, the giant inflatable Jack Skellington, the scary movies, and the pumpkin carving kits! Halloween is my favorite. Halloween dessert is my extra favorite. “It’s just a bunch of hocus pocus!”
When I started seeing spellbook brownies all over the internet, I knew I not only had to (a) watch Hocus Pocus, but also (b) make spellbook brownies ASAP. Be forewarned – these are chocolate overload. But if you’re not down for chocolate on chocolate (um, who are you?), you could always make these with a good blondie or, dare I suggest it, caramel blondie recipe.
This is our first Halloween in the new house, and about a week ago we received a flyer in our mailbox informing us that the three streets around us host an annual halloween parade! We didn’t know what it was, who would be there, or exactly how big this neighborhood parade would be, but I was SO ridiculously excited. Even after our neighbor explained that it was basically an excuse for children to wear their costume and steal candy twice and for dads to get a little toasted, I was already breaking out the lawn chairs and blankets for us and our best friends.
It lasted approximately six minutes, and someone’s dad carried an american flag of all things to mark the front of the “parade.” Two dozen kids cleaned us out of our Halloween candy, so I’ll be hitting the store again. And. it. was. awesome. 🙂 Darwin nosed every child that came within reach, we ate too many sour patch kids, and we met all our lovely neighbors. Though . . . next year we may have to step up our game, since I hear the two gentlemen that live behind us were handing out shots . . .
How to Make Spellbook Brownies
TIP #1. These little halloween desserts really come to life, because of that spooky, droopy spellbook eye. While you can use any jumbo eye sprinkle, I prefer to get the right size, flip it over, and draw on the back with an edible ink marker. You can make the eye look extra droopy by tracing over the upper eyelid a second time to make that line just slightly thicker.
TIP #2. When you use the icing to add ridges on the book, don’t worry about being precise! The beauty of these little books comes from being a little scrappy. Extra dots and non-perfect squiggles help create the old, magical look on these spellbooks.
TIP #3. Get creative! Any brownie recipe will work. Make Mayan Chocolate Brownies for a little spicy kick. Mix in bright colored sprinkles to bring a little more “hocus pocus” to the brownies. Mix in chewy fruit candy like chopped up sour patch kids if you want to give everyone the heebie jeebies when you tell them they’re eating “eye-of-newt” brownies.
Happy Halloween!
mikaela | wyldflour
Serves 20 brownies
Halloween dessert has never been so fun than hocus pocus spellbook brownies!
1 hrPrep Time
30 minCook Time
1 hr, 30 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- (*see notes)
- 1 cup salted butter
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 24 oz semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (I used half milk, half semi-sweet)
- 1 ½ tablespoons shortening
- jumbo eye sprinkles
- edible black marker
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tsp activated charcoal (for natural coloring) or a couple drops black food dye
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Make the Brownies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9"x13" brownie pan with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the butter in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat. Remove the butter from the heat and stir in cocoa powder. Stir in sugar. Stir in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Stir in vanilla extract, flour, and chocolate chips. Spread the brownie batter evenly in the parchment-lined pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs attached. Let the brownies cool for ten minutes in the pan. Then lift the brownies out of the pan by pulling the edges of the parchment paper and let them cool completely.
- Make the Eyes. While the brownies are cooling, use the edible marking pen to draw the Hocus Pocus spellbook eye on the back of the jumbo eye sprinkles. (You can also just use the eye sprinkle as is!) Set aside, being careful not to smudge your thumb across the ink until it is dry.
- Prep the Brownies. Slice the brownies in a 4 x 5 grid or 20 brownies. If you want flat books and your edges dip, you can cut the outside edges off the entire thing before you slice the brownies. Set the brownies on a parchment covered cookie sheet or plate, leaving about an inch between each and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Melt the Chocolate. Place the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until you can stir it smooth. Do not be tempted to heat for longer periods as it may burn the chocolate and cause it to seize. Also be sure that zero water comes into contact with the melted chocolate (e.g., from a wet spoon or from you licking chocolate off your finger, which I of course have never done), because this may also cause it to seize.
- Coat the Brownies. Remove the brownies from the freezer and use a fork to toss each one in melted chocolate. Pick it up from underneath with a fork and tap the bottom of the fork handle against the edge of the bowl to knock off as much chocolate as you can before placing back on the parchment-covered sheet to set.
- Make the Black Icing & Decorate. While the brownies are setting, stir the icing ingredients together in a small bowl. The icing should be thin enough to drizzle but thick enough to hold its shape and not just turn into a pool. Place a small dab of icing to get the sprinkle eye to stick to each brownie. Then drizzle lines to mimic the design of the Hocus Pocus spellbook! Let chocolate and icing set before serving! These brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Notes
You can use any brownie recipe to make these spellbook brownies, including spicy brownies with a kick or blondies! Mix in bright colored sprinkles to bring a little more "hocus pocus" to the brownies. Mix in chewy fruit candy like chopped up sour patch kids if you want to give everyone the heebie jeebies when you tell them they're eating "eye-of-newt" brownies. Have fun!
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