Red Velvet Brownies

This is a love story about how red velvet cake and brownies got together, fell in love, then lived happily ever after.

My brother Jeff threw a birthday party for my sister-in-law this past weekend, equipped with a taco bar, his famous buffalo chicken dip, an antipasto platter (Hubby helped!), honey garlic wings, and a sangria fountain. I happily added my mini brie and jam fillo cups and new brussels sprouts salad to the menu, but wanted to bring a special dessert as well. Not just anything, though. Something that fell under her favorites category.

Jeff was already making his own version of cannoli dip. (He even deep fried wanton wrappers for dunking as a nod to the shells!), and their friend Jamie was rolling out insanely good Oreo truffles. So I turned to another staple on my SIL’s sweets list: red velvet.

These decadent, chewy, fudgy bites are probably even better than cake if I’m being quite honest. And although the recipe didn’t call for frosting, I added a vanilla buttercream to pull it all together. But I won’t give you that recipe until tomorrow. I’m playing hard to get so you’ll come back for more. Well, that’s how red velvet landed brownie anyway…

Ingredients:
*Recipe from Newlyweds-blog.com*

1 cup  unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 oz red food coloring (if not using food coloring add 4 T of water or milk)

4 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350º. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together white sugar,

Brown sugar,

And butter…

For about two minutes, until creamy.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Drop in food coloring. I didn’t have enough so mine isn’t as bright as it could be!

And vanilla.

Mix until color is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, stir together cocoa powder

Salt,

And flour.

Slowly add flour mixture being very careful not to over mix. The batter will be very thick.

Remove the bowl and use a rubber spatula to stir the batter, being sure all the flour has incorporated.

Pour into a greased and floured baking pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. 35 minutes provides a thin crust on top and gooey center. Perfection.

Set aside to cool. Cut into squares.

Frost with vanilla buttercream frosting (recipe coming tomorrow!)

Eat and enjoy his hybrid dessert!

…….
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