Red Velvet Espresso Brownies

Whenever the forecast calls for a little bit of snow in the Piedmont region of North Carolina everything stops…

People race to the grocery store to stand in a ridiculously long line for milk and bread. The gas stations are lined with cars waiting to fill up their tanks. The local schools call for a snow day. And all the busyness just stops until the snow melts away.

That is exactly what happened today. I had hoped and prayed the night before for a snow day. Not because I didn’t want to go to school and teach, but because it had been about 2 years since the last snow day. And I love my snow days. I have this tradition when it comes to snow days. First, I sleep in. I mean really sleep in… Let the sun wake you up and not feel guilty about it sleep in. Second, I stay in my pajamas all day. I mean why wouldn’t you. There is no where to go…not with my mountain of a driveway anyway. Third, I bake. I try to bake something chocolatey, warm, and gooey that would be perfect for a snowy day. And I think I these brownies are perfect.

Red Velvet Espresso Brownies

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into quarters
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon espresso powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red food coloring
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and adjust your oven rack to the middle position. Spray an 8-inch glass or metal square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line pan with foil or parchment paper.
  2. In a double boiler, melt the semisweet and unsweetened chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool.
  3. In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, red food coloring, and vinegar until it makes a thick paste.
  4. In your stand mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined. Whisk the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then add the cocoa paste. Once blended, add in the flour a little at a time until just combined.
  5. Pour mixture into the prepared pan, spread into the corners, and level with a spatula. Bake for 35-40 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs. Cool on a wire rack or eat warm on a snowy day.

Notes

Recipe by Carrie, inspired by No. 2 Pencil's recipe found on TatertotsandJello

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7 thoughts on “Red Velvet Espresso Brownies

    • Thanks! We got just enough snow to call for a snow day, but it was pretty much melted away when I woke up. But I was still determined to hold my snow day traditions anyway. ;)

  1. So, this is my first trip to your blog. I found you through Sweet Sharing Monday and seeing the name of your blog I just had to pop over :-) The brownies look delectable and I’ve been thinking of trying a red velvet brownie as something just a wee bit different for Valentine’s Day. Of course I need to do a test run first to make sure they turn out okay, don’t you think? Pinning for later :-)

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