Now THAT is a brownie....

Red Velvet Brownies

Line pan with foil by trimming two long foil pieces to a 9-inch width. Fit strips, crossing each other, in the pan.

Total: 3 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

• 1  (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 3/4  cup  butter
• 2  cups  sugar
• 4  large eggs
• 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  (1-oz.) bottle red liquid food coloring
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting
• Garnish: white chocolate curls

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.

Whisk in sugar

 Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition

 Gently stir in flour and next 4 ingredients.

Pour mixture into prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350° for 44 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours).

4. Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles; gently remove foil. Spread Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting on top of brownies, and cut into 16 squares. Garnish, if desired.

I was going to make the cream cheese frosting, when I thought that I would cheat and use a can of chocolate frosting we already had. I really would rather home make my own frosting, but if I had done that, I would have had extra, and I know what would happen if I had extra icing :)

Southern Living, DECEMBER 2010