Red Velvet Brownies

There are two schools of thought when it comes to good food.  The first one is: If you've found something you love, stick with it.  Why risk a new recipe when you have a tried-and-true one already?  This is how my fiance thinks, and I adore him for his no-nonsense view.

The second school is: What if the new recipe is another gem to add to your books?  What if you'd miss out by not trying it?  I'm of the second school.  I wouldn't be much of a food blogger if I was happy to stick to what I knew!

Sadly, on this night my fiance prevailed.  Y'all know I already have a knockout recipe for brownies.  Well, on my last day at work I wanted to wow my coworkers, so I whipped up a red velvet brownie recipe that looked like a stunner.

The incumbent won.  I much prefer my other brownies.  I didn't know what Honey & Jam was talking about at first in describing my fave brownies as "not too sweet."  Now I do.  Still, I'm posting the recipe in case someone else loves it, because everyone has different tastes.  Plus, we second-schoolers know each new recipe is a learning experience.  I would never have known if I hadn't tried.  

Red Velvet Brownies

adapted from food network and smells like home

serves 12-20 (depending how big you cut them)

prep time: 20 minutes + 45-60 minutes' cooling

cook time: 30-40 minutes

ingredients:

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 oz red food coloring (or a scant 2 tbsp)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided

1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8x8 baking pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, food coloring, 1 tsp vanilla and vinegar into a thick paste until no longer lumpy.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well, then stir in the other 1 tsp of vanilla.  Add the cocoa paste and mix until the batter becomes one uniform color.  Slowly add the flour and salt.  Mix just until combined.  Stir with a rubber/silicone spatula a few times to ensure no flour is sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely while still in the pan.  Cut and serve.