Red Velvet Brownies
Submitted by frick on December 23, 2012 at 3:01 pm

A brownie with true red velvet flavor. It's REALLY red! The Cream Cheese Frosting is awesome.
Yield: 16 brownies
Source: Southern Living, December 2010

1 (4-0z) bar bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
I used 4 ounces of Ghirardelli 60% chocolate chips
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 (1 ounce) bottle liquid red food coloring
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 Recipe Cream Cheese Frosting

My full size frosting is:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Line bottom and sides of9-inch square pan with foil, with 2-3 inches extending over sides. Lightly grease or butter foil. (I forgot to grease it and it peeled off easily enough.)

Microwave chocolate and butter until melted. Stir every 30 second. Stir until smooth. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Gently stir in flour and next four ingredients. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 for 44 to 48 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center has only a few crumbs clinging.

NOTE: The center was completely liquid at this point. I added 5 minutes, then 10, then 5 more -- a total of 20 minutes -- before it reached the "only a few crumbs" state. However, it seemed to be 'brownies' in texture so it seems either to need a lot more time or a 10" square pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Remove brownies from pan using foil as handles. Remove foil. Frost and cut into 16 generous pieces.

comments
Submitted by kaf-sub-k2dogfishing on Sun, 2012-12-30 19:03. yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Submitted by kaf-sub-jicomber on Thu, 2013-02-14 05:19.
How can I do this without the food colouring as my son can't have it? Can you substitute beets? If so how and how many

Submitted by Koodra on Sat, 2013-02-23 02:18.
Dear kaf-sub-jicomber,

To make a beet based "red"/magenta dye
I'd boil a peeled medium sized beet in some water until soft. Or bake one until soft with the skin on then peel it. Then puree the beet in a food processor with 1/2 - 3/4 cup the water from the boiling. Strain it thru a sieve or cheesecloth checking that the consistency is similar to that of food dye which is slightly thicker than water. I'd use it 1 for 1 as "red" Magenta beet dye, but I'd also double the vanilla just in case there are any "beety" overtones.