Red Velvet Swirl Brownies

These are adapted from Sonny Anderson's recipe over at Food Network

Red Velvet Swirl Brownies

Red Velvet Brownie Layer:

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts  (optional)

Cream Cheese Layer:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350

Grease an 8 by 8-inch baking pan

Brownie layer: In a saucepan on medium heat melt the butter. Remove the butter to a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar, in that order, mixing between additions. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and stir it into the cocoa mix. Fold in the flour until lightly combined. Stir in the walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, saving 1/4 cup of the batter for the top.


Cream cheese layer: Blend together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently spread the cream cheese layer on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, drag the tip through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern.
Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before cutting.



Brownies (Alton Brown)

The other day Chandra (my SIL) and I were talking about finding the "right" brownie recipe and she was saying she was on the hunt and trying out different recipes. Well A. that got me thinking about needing to eat a brownie, and B. I realized I hadn't made brownies for some time so I started looking around for a recipe too.

I'm a big fan of Alton Brown, I used to love his cooking show on the Food Network and I'm sad to say that I haven't watched it for quite awhile (like atleast 1-2 years). Sometimes he likes to over complicate things for me, but whatever, so I checked to see if he had a brownie recipe and then made them. This is hands down my favorite brownie recipe and I love that it's simple and traditional.

Alton Brown's Cocoa Brownies

Soft butter, for greasing the pan

Flour, for dusting the buttered pan

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
 
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.


In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.