How to make shiny, crackly topped & fudgy brownies?

Gently melting the chocolate and butter over a double boiler, as well as using a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar creates the perfect shiny, crackly brownies. The fudgy texture of these brownie cookies is achieved by using far more chocolate than cocoa powder. Use a high quality semi-sweet chocolate and dutch process cocoa powder.

What is the best baking pan to make brownies?

Not all pans are created equal when it comes to brownies. When you’re going for crispy, thick edges and chewy, gooey centers, the right pan can make all the difference. Some bakers use glass (pyrex) dishes but they have poor heat conduction and thus the brownies don’t bake evenly. Dark aluminum pans are a common choice but because the dark color of the pan absorbs more heat, it’s easy to over bake the brownies. Light color aluminum pans are my go-to for brownies. They are great heat conductors and they heat up fast and cool down quickly once removed from the oven. I use USA Pans for making brownies always.

How to store brownies?

If you want to use brownies over a long period, slice one piece at a time. However, if you want to use them up right away you can slice all pieces at once. You can store brownies at room temperature in an air tight container covered with aluminium foil for upto 3 days or in the refrigerator for upto 5 days to last longer. Frozen brownies never actually freeze all the way through and they take on an extra chewy, almost fudge-like texture when chilled that I find completely irresistible. To freeze the brownies, wrap them tightly in two layers of plastic wrap or foil and then store in a plastic bag or covered glass container. You can freeze brownies for upto 2 months. Be sure to add a date to your container.

Red Velvet Brownies - ThatBakeBlog

Description

This easy red velvet brownies recipe are the ultimate treat for any dessert lover. They combine the richness of chocolate with the allure of red velvet. Trust me, you are going to love both the center and edge pieces of this one.

Ingredients

Scale

Red Velvet Brownies

157g (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) dark couverture chocolate, chopped
150g (¾ cup) light or dark brown sugar
100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
120ml (½ cup) vegetable or canola oil
1 tablespoon red gel food coloring
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
77g (⅔ cup) all-purpose flour, sifted
37g (6 tablespoons) dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon espresso powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon corn start or corn flour

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoons block cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon heavy cream, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt
32g (¼ cup) powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

Red Velvet Brownies

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (177ºC) and line a 8×8 metal baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler in a heatproof bowl on the stove. To create a double boiler, fill a saucepan with 2-3 inches of water, and place a heatproof bowl over it. The bottom of the heatproof bowl should not touch the water in the saucepan. Gently heat the water (but don’t boil or simmer) and stir continuously. Remove from stove once the chocolate is completely melted.
While the chocolate is melting, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt and corn starch in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, thoroughly beat together the eggs and sugar with a mixer until light in color and airy in texture. This will take around 3-5 minutes.
Once the bowl of melted chocolate is lukewarm (it should no longer be too hot to the touch), add it to the egg and sugar mixture. Add in the oil, red food color and vanilla as well along with it. Mix with a spatula until combined. Do not over mix.
Sift in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Scrape the batter into the greased pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Place the pan in the oven for 50 minutes and begin checking the brownies at 45 minutes. They are done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (but not completely gooey batter) and the edges are starting to crisp up. If they start to brown more than desired, lightly cover them with an aluminium foil and continue baking.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing them via the parchment paper.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Using a hand mixer, cream the block cream cheese and unsalted butter until completely smooth.
Add in the vanilla, heavy cream and salt. Mix well. Add in powdered sugar and beat until combined.
Drizzle cooled brownies with cream cheese before slicing.

Assembly

For sharp edges, cool completely before cutting with a sharp wet knife.
Read FAQ section for how to slice and store brownies.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Category: red velvet, chocolate, brownies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting, red velvet cream cheese brownies, red velvet brownies recipe