So I finally got around to making these Red Velvet Brownies after much argument with myself, going back and forth between, "I'm tired and lazy now. Maybe I should make it next weekend" and "No, if I don't make it now, I'll never be done with it and I still have a bazillion other recipes to do." Procastination is one of my weaknesses. But when you just got home from a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is bake or cook. You just want to sit down, surf or watch the TV and relax. But then I sometimes end up waking up at crazy hours at dawn on a weekday (like 4 a.m.), baking in a hurry just so I could still make it to work on time at 8 a.m. Crazy, I know. Even my boyfriend tells me so.
I first saw these brownies on Smells Like Home, which is one of my favorite blogs! These amazing gooey Red Velvet Brownies were created and perfected by another wonderful blogger, Jessica from How Sweet It Is. I absolutely love Red Velvet cupcakes, cakes, hot chocolate and any RED desserts. There's just something about that color that lures you in, making it look so deliciously sinful and tempting.
I was quite surprised after going over the recipe that it lacked baking soda and vinegar, typically found when making Red Velvet Cupcakes. The batter was very thick and I had a bit of trouble spreading it evenly but these brownies baked nicely. They were moist, dense and chewy with a nice, thin, crispy top and a slight cocoa taste. The buttercream frosting had the distinct taste of the melted white chocolate which was lovely but unfortunately, it was too sweet for me. I should have known that 125g of melted white chocolate and 2.5 cups of powdered sugar were a little too much. I couldn't even finish one slice of brownie. For people who love lots of sugar in their frosting, go for it. You will absolutely love it but the next time I'm making these brownies, I will definitely reduce the amount of powdered sugar or maybe just make some white chocolate ganache frosting.
RED VELVET BROWNIES
WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
first seen at Smells Like Home, recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) at room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tbsp + 2 tsp red food coloring (McCormic)
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter an 8x8 inch square pan and line all sides with parchment paper.
Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Stir until mixed.
Mix the cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract and red food coloring together until it becomes a smooth paste. Set aside.
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat well. Add in the cocoa powder mixture and beat until batter is uniformly red.Set the electric mixer aside. Using a hand whisk, add in the flour and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached to it. Cool for an hour in the pan on a wire rack. Remove from the pan, cut into 9 squares and frost.
WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
1 stick butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
125 g white chocolate, melted
Beat the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy on medium speed. Add the vanilla and mix well. Decrease the speed to low and slowly beat in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Add in the melted white chocolate and beat until well incorporated. Frost cooled brownie slices.
