Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream

I am currently sitting on the couch cuddled up with 3 blankets, 3 boxes of cold medicine, 2 large bottles of water, and 3 dirty bowls of chicken soup feeling more sick than I've felt since I don't know when, wishing a pan of these would magically show up at my doorstep. Hint hint...

Have you ever attempted to make red velvet anything and ran out of red food coloring right in the middle of it? Yeah, me either. Wait, not true. I did that with these. So while mine aren't as red as they are "supposed" to be, they tasted the same... delicious.

So lesson learned, by me, that  when you attempt to make anything red velvet make sure you have enough red food coloring. Anyways back to the brownies. This white chocolate buttercream is to die for. And when paired with these brownies, perfection. And the best part, the recipe only makes a 8x8 pan so I didn't have to worry about eating an entire 9x13 pan. My trainer would be proud.

Red Velvet Brownies
(Original Recipe from How Sweet It Is)


1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. red food coloring
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8x8 pan (nifty trick for flouring when dough is dark, use cocoa powder in lieu of the flour).

In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, red food coloring, and 1 tsp. of vanilla to create a paste.

In a medium sized bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add remaining vanilla. Add cocoa powder paste and beat until batter is completely red. Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

Spread brownie batter in prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test. Cool completely before frosting.


White Chocolate Buttercream
(Original Recipe from How Sweet It Is)

1 stick butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 ounces white chocolate, melted
1-2 Tbsp. milk (plus more, if needed)

In medium sized bowl, cream butter until fluffy, then add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. After all powdered sugar is added, add melted white chocolate and beat until incorporated. to reach desired consistency, add milk one tsp. at a time. If your frosting becomes too thin, add more powdered sugar.