My sister loves red velvet. Me, I never cared for it. I’m not sure why – it’s basically chocolate, gussied up with a little food coloring to make it prettier.
Whose idea was that? I mean, the adding of the food coloring?
It serves no real purpose really, purely aesthetics.
So perhaps I never cared for red velvet based on its mediocre attempts at being pretty versus tasty.
Whatever.
I’m getting over it, thanks to these brownies.
No joke, I will be using this recipe from here on out. I may never search for another variation, ever. It will be the base for every brownie in my future, unless someone can convince me otherwise.
Think chewy. Moist. Decadent. Fudgey. I’ll be perfectly honest here – I left the brownies sitting out, all night, uncovered. UNCOVERED. I just cut a piece to eat (okay, slab), and it is STILL as moist as ever.
I am in LOVE.
And hence, the red. Ideal dessert for Valentine’s Day, which is just around the corner. (How’d THAT happen? Wasn’t it just Halloween??) Leave out the red, add it, or go green, blue, whatever…pick your poison. Just make them.
Do it. I promise you won’t be sorry.
Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons butter
- 3 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Red Food Coloring (I used Wilton No-Taste Red)
- 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper long enough to hang over on two sides, making it easier to remove from pan once baked. Spray pan and paper.
- In small saucepot over medium heat, or in the microwave, melt chocolate and butter until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and red food coloring with the sugar. Slowly add in chocolate mixture until well combined.
- In small bowl, sift together cocoa, salt and flour. Add mixture to rest of batter. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
- Beat ingredients together until smooth. Pour over brownie batter. Use sharp knife to swirl together.
- Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until just set and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool. Enjoy!
One of the secrets to these brownies is the QUALITY of chocolate being used. There are lots of options on the market, but I tend to use Scharffen Berger. I love the flavor, the availability in stores, and the range of product. For this recipe, I chose to use the Semisweet Baking Chunks, but an even darker chocolate would have been just as good or better. The Scharffen Berger Semisweet, though, is a great percentage to transition between kids and adults (kids like sweeter, adults a little darker, on average) – so it’s a favorite here at our house. I also used Scharffen Berger Cocoa in this recipe.
No, I was not paid to say this. Not a word of it. I just love it, and want to share the things I love with you!
GIVEAWAY
Speaking of sharing, how would you like to win an assortment of Scharffen Berger Chocolates? Lucky for you, I can make that happen. Just help me out by sharing this post with your friends, either on Twitter, on Pinterest, or on Facebook. You can so that, right? I mean, it’s my birthday week, after all!
So, leave me a comment, letting me know how you shared. If you shared it on multiple sites, leave a separate comment for each and every share.
If you’d like another chance to win, I’m SURE Scharffen Berger would like a new fan, so go join them on Facebook! Be sure to return here, and leave me a separate comment, letting me know you did.
We’ll also be Twittering with Scharffen Berger next month, sharing chocolaty recipes in time for Valentine’s Day, so now would be a great time to join them on Twitter. Again, once you do, return here to leave a separate comment.
Good luck, have a great day, and be sure to come back often, as I’ll be hosting a LOT of great giveaways over the next couple of weeks…like I said, it’s my birthday this week and I want everyone to celebrate a little!
{ 127 comments… read them below or add one }
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Beautiful colors….definitely making them for Valentines Day! I follow Scharffen Berger on facebook! And Happy Birthday week!
These look like the best birthday/valentines day treat ever! Which works out well because my birthday is the day after. Haha. I shared this post on facebook asking people to make them for me, lol.
I then shared it on twitter as well.
And I like Scharffen Berger on facebook
And I follow Scharffen Berger on Twitter, too!
Shared on Twitter! https://twitter.com/#!/kaori_ikeda01/status/161712460380913664
these look amazing! i am so making these for v-day. i just pinned on pinterest.
by the way, how much food coloring do you use?
i just liked scharffen berger on facebook!
I shared your post on FB!
I also joined Scharffen Berger on FB!
I shared!!! Happy Birthday!!
Oh, I shared on FB!
I tweeted, I shared in a post, I am in lurve with these brownies….
YUMMMMMMMM!!! The brownies look so moist and decadent – - almost fudge like. Delicious
i saw this on punchfork & shared on facebook! i think i will make with dark chocolate that’s my valentines favorite
Pinned on Pinterest
YUM! I love cheesecake and definitely am a fan of moist cakes and desserts! Also, I don’t get the red food die thing either, red velvet cake was originally created from a reaction between the cocoa and an acidic ingredient like buttermilk in the batter. I have been wanting to do a beet root red velvet recipe though, because I love beets and they give a nice pronounced red color without food die!
Following Scharffen Berger on FB
Follow Scharffen Berger on Twitter
Tweeted the contest
I shared on Twitter!
https://twitter.com/#!/picatasi/status/163173569747099648
have a happy birthday (week)!
I shared on FB too
And I repinned this post on pinterest!
I like Scharffen berger on FB! (as Cat P. S.)
And I follow Sharffen berger on Twitter too (as picatasi)
Thanks!
I shared on Facebook before I even read that you were encouraging us to . xD Found some red velvet macaroons in Pathmark this weekend that whetted my appetite for more red velvet things and I need to use some cream cheese, so finding this recipe was excellent timing.
Happy Aquarius birthday! Mine was actually on the 22nd.
I shared this recipe on facebook. What a great contest!
I am def going to try this!! All of my gave desserts in one!
This looks absolutely gorgeous!
Looks so yummy! I pinned for an entry. Thanks!
Hi! would you be able to help if i want to make it on a 9×13 pan? that’s the only one i have..
That’s going to make them really thin. I recommend 1 1/2 times-ing the recipe if that’s the only pan you have. Or, just grab one of those disposable $1 pans at the grocery that is 8×8.
thank you very much! i’ll give it a try hopefully by next week
these look yummy! i envy you for being able to make something like this! great job!
I shared this on Pinterest and am making these today for my family. I am also making these for the agents at work for Valentine Week! I have never heard of this chocolate and would love to try it… I don’t think we have it in our grocery stores or specialty shops around here… I live in a beautiful resort/vacation town, Mountain Home, AR.
Thanks for sharing this recipe, I am excited to try it, I love Red Velvet cake and am sure these will be a hit also! Ann
These look divine, can’t wait to make them. I pinned you on Pinterest
and I love Chocolate 
))
These do sound yummy. For whatever reason, I love red velvet desserts.
I Love red velvet. Shared on pinterest!!! Can’t wait to eat them!
shared on FB
Liked the chocolate. Now, if they only sold in West Virginia…
I posted this wonderful recipe to my Facebook. I cannot wait to try it. I really enjoy your site.
Shared on Facebook. and pinterist. Can’t wait to make them this weekend.
Has anyone actually made these? When do you add the sugar? my brownie portion looks awful like maybe there isnt enough liquid…..
Oh hellz yeah. I made these yesterday (slightly burnt them -damn crap oven – but they were still mucking afazing) and I’m not ashamed to say I finished the whole batch already. Bought double the ingredients today and making a batch for friends and one for myself. AMAZEBALLS!!!!
Do these need to be put in the fridge after they have been made? I want to take them as a gift to someone I am visiting.
You can certainly transport them. I actually left mine out for a few days- they were fantastic even 3 days later!
I have a pretty tough to beat brownie recipe – this sounds like it will come in close . .
These are pretty good! Ended up making them in cupcake cases, and baking for a shorter time. Luckily, they turned out fine. Shame that I didn’t know how much red food colouring to put in, so they didn’t really turn out red. But, they still taste great. I was so relieved they worked in cases too! Panic moment when I realised my tin was in no way fit for the job.
The picture makes my mouth water!! These look too good!
WOW! These combine two wonderful tastes. My husband is going to love them.
How much red food coloring????????
Really, as much as you want. It will depend on the brand. Just pour a bit in, stir, and decide if you need to add more.
Just a quick history on red velvet. It started during the WWII when cocoa was in short supple as most things were. The red food coloring was used to hide the fact that it didn’t have the deep chocolate look because the amount of cocoa had been reduced.
I do find this recipe to be tastier than the others that I have found! I used brown sugar instead of white sugar in the brownie batter; I just prefer brown sugar. I also creamed the cream cheese by itself before adding the other cheesecake ingredients–this helped the mixture be less lumpy. Also, the first time I made this recipe, I baked it for 55 minutes, and that was WAY too long. The top ended up turning brown-NOT pretty. Next time I only baked it for 40 minutes and it worked AMAZINGLY! So pretty and yummy. Thanks for sharing!!
I shared this on Pinterest about 30 mins. ago and it has already been repinned 26 times! I can’t wait to make these!
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