Red Velvet Brownies

I love red velvet. You might say that I have a red velvet obsession. Normally I bake red velvet cupcakes or red velvet cake roll, but I feel these demand a cream cheese frosting - which you just can't mail. So for my Valentines' Day or Singles Awareness Day care packages I made red velvet brownies and decorated them with a white chocolate heart.

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons red food coloring

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line pan with parchment paper for easy removal (I used a 9x13 for maximal brownies you can use an 8x8 or 9x9 for thicker brownies).
2. In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, red food coloring, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to create a paste.
3. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add remaining teaspoon of vanilla. Add in cocoa powder mixture. Beat until batter is completely red. (If at this time your batter is NOT red, you can add a little more food coloring if desired.  Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined. 
4. Spread in pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely before decorating.