01 -
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
02 -
In a mixing bowl, blend melted butter and granulated sugar until smooth.
03 -
Add eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture; whisk until fully incorporated.
04 -
Sift together cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder; gently fold into wet ingredients just until combined.
05 -
Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips if using, distributing evenly throughout the batter.
06 -
Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the surface evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
07 -
Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan before removing.
08 -
Slice the cooled brownies into squares of desired size.
09 -
Pipe a spiral of white icing onto each brownie square, then use a toothpick to drag lines from the center outward to form a spiderweb pattern.
10 -
Add small candy spiders on top to enhance the Halloween theme.