I've decided to stop saying that I don't bake. Honestly, I've done more baking in the last year than I ever remember doing all previous years combined. From various kinds of zucchini bread to trying my hand at pretzel bread calzones and bites (I promise to recreate and share this recipe with you guys soon as it is super amazing and tasty!) and even working to perfect a made-from-scratch tart shell - - I've really had fun learning about the world I was formerly terrified to go near.
 |
The ingredients are pretty common items you
might have in your pantry and fridge! |
So with a new year upon us and Valentine's Day fast approaching, I wanted to share a fun recipe that will have your sweetie declaring their love for you. Or, if you find yourself sans Valentine this year, it will help you make it through a day you are probably not too fond of. Either way - - RED VELVET BROWNIES! :)
 |
If you have the option of "No Taste"
go with that one. The gel, as seen
here, or the liquid will work. |
Last year, I surprised my husband by baking him
Cherry-Poppyseed Muffins which were delicious. But this year, with my new-found baking confidence I wanted to tackle red velvet, one of his absolute favorites. I did some research online and finally decided on a recipe for these Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies and there was no looking back. This recipe comes from
Sally's Baking Addiction and I can't thank her enough for sharing such an awesome recipe. She adapted it from a Food Network recipe and it really is a great starter recipe for people who haven't braved into the red velvet realm (ahem….namely me!) Its a super fudgy brownie with swirls of sweet cheesecake batter mixed throughout.
 |
The brownie batter is an absolutely amazing color
when you have it all combined! |
In order to make an authentic Red Velvet recipe, I needed to use high quality red food coloring to get that amazing color. For the red gel, there was an option of "no-taste" because when you use a lot of the intense color it can lend an off or bitter taste to your end product. So go with the tasteless if you have the option. I was a bit nervous using so much of the gel but I think that is what makes these brownies so special for Valentine's Day. I mean just look at that color!
The critical thing about this recipe is that you mix together the ingredients for the brownie batter in the exact order they are listed. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl until just melted. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar - - mixing in each ingredient in that order. The vinegar in the recipe helps to keep the red color vibrant, and is key to the recipe so don't skip it. I promise you won't even taste it in the final product.
 |
I've learned to use this tool for mixing
a lot more than guacamole! |
Next, whisk the 2 eggs together in a separate bowl until well mixed, and then incorporate them into to the batter. Then fold in the flour until fully incorporated. Don't over mix. Poor the brownie batter (minus about a 3/4 of a cup keep in reserve for the top) into a prepared 8x8 baking dish that you have sprayed with cooking spray. Be really careful with the batter and anything you use to stir it. The dye really stains so wash out your bowls right away. I wouldn't recommend using a white spatula or spoon either as I'm guessing it would end up turning pink!
To make the cheesecake swirl, you need to make sure your cream cheese is room temperature or it won't mix together smoothly. I do have a confession to make though - - I hate using the handheld mixer. It might be the noise its makes, or the extra dishes, or having to dig it out of the cabinet and finding the beaters - - but I always prefer to mix things by hand whenever I can get away with it. I've found that using my handy dandy avocado masher works really well for applications like this.
 |
Dollop the cream cheese
batter on top - no need to
be precise. |
Place the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in a bowl and mix until smooth. I mashed it all together and had no problem at all getting it mixed. If you prefer, use your hand mixer for about a minute to blend all the ingredients. Then you just take the mixture and dollop spoonfuls on top of your prepared brownie batter. Cover that with the remaining batter you kept in reserve and take a bread knife and pull it through the layers creating the swirl pattern.
 |
All swirled together and
ready for the oven! |
Bake the brownies at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I purposefully cooked the brownies to the point where they were still a bit soft in the middle because I really like fudgy soft brownies, but you could certainly cook them longer. Just follow your heart! Hahaha, I couldn't resist at least one Valentine's pun!
 |
Here is a close up shot of the brownie goodness!
The photo really doesn't do these justice. |
The end result is this gloriously decadent - - and slightly gooey - - unmistakable Valentine's Day treat for your sweetheart. I hope you will try making them for yourself and let me know what you think!
Happy Valentine's Everyone!
- xoxo -
Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
(Recipe courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction)
Brownie Mix
2 Large Eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon liquid or gel red food coloring (Go with No Taste)
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
Cheesecake Swirl
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
