Southern Red Velvet Brownies

While red velvet cake may have been invented in Maryland, it has been deemed a Southern treat ever since Weezer served up a red velvet armadillo butt on Steel Magnolias. (By the way, if you've never seen Steel Magnolias, you are missing out.) However, as well loved as red velvet is in the South, it is not my all time favorite, but it is my husbands. Any time Adam sees anything red velvet, he immediately tries it, cupcakes, cheesecake, cookies, you name it and he's there. So this recipe was 100% his idea and they turned out amazing. My dad said, and I quote, "That is the best red velvet I have ever put in my mouth." And I may or may not have licked the bowl that he made the cream cheese frosting in.

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Southern Red Velvet Brownies

Time: 1 hour Servings: 1 - 8x8 pan

Ingredients:

Brownies

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 TBS. Dutch processed cocoa powder

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice

• 1 tsp. red food coloring

• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips

• 1/4 cup pecan pieces

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup cream cheese, softened

• 2 cups confectioners sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°

2. Sift flour and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl and set aside

3. In a the bowl of a stand mixer or medium sized mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar together and mix until fully incorporated

4. Then add egg, egg yolk, and red food coloring to butter mixture

5. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and mix until just combined

6. Fold in vinegar and white chocolate chips

7. In a prepared 8x8 baking dish, pour batter and spread evenly, bake for 25-30 minutes

8. While brownies are baking, make the cream cheese frosting

9. Combine unsalted butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and fully incorporate, then mix in confectioners sugar and vanilla extract

10. Once brownies have cooked and cooled to room temperature, top them with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with pecans

11. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week

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Tips & Tricks

1. Traditionally, red velvet uses regular cocoa powder. I used dutch processed (extra dark) cocoa powder in these because it was what I had on hand. The flavor was much richer than a traditional red velvet and everyone enjoyed them.

2. A lot of people like to mix their pecans into their red velvet cake batter, I personally prefer mine as a topper so in this case I put them on top. But if you prefers yours in the batter then go ahead and throw them in there, my mother would greatly approve.

3. Be careful not to over bake. We over baked our first batch and although they were good the first day, the second day they were bone dry.

4. The recipe calls for 1 tsp. of red food coloring, this is pretty much a more or less kind of deal. Depending upon the type of food coloring you are using or how red you like your red velvet, you can eye ball it to your desired color.