Red Velvet Brownies w/White Chocolate Buttercream Icing

These are to die for!  The icing would be wonderful in itself to frost a cake.  I used Ghirardelli white baking chocolate and my heavy cream congealed so I used just plain milk.  I can't wait for the rave reviews from my new team mates when I take them to work tomorrow!  If you make one thing for Christmas this year, make these!

Red Velvet Brownies w/White Chocolate Butter cream Icing

Brownies

3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

2oz red food coloring
2 t. pure vanilla extract, divided
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1¼ cups all purpose flour
¼ t. salt

Icing

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2½ cups powdered sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract
4oz good quality white chocolate, melted
1-2 T. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8"x8" baking pan. In a small bowl, slowly stir together the cocoa powder, food coloring and 1 t. vanilla into a thick paste until no lumps of cocoa remain. Set aside.  Beat together the batter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Then stir in the remaining 1t. of vanilla.  Add the cocoa mixture and beat on medium 2 mixtures together until they are one uniform color.  Slowly add in flour and salt, mix on medium just until combined.  DO NOT OVER MIX. 

Stir with rubber spatula once or twice just to ensure all the flour has been incorporated from the sides of the bowl and there isn’t anything stuck on the bottom of the bowl.. You want your batter to be one uniform color.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Allow brownies to completely cool in pan on a baking rack, about 45-60 minutes.  Frost brownies in the pan, cut into 12 bars and serve.

 ICING

Cream butter until soft and fluffy, then beat in vanilla.  Mix on low slowly adding sugar ½ cup at a time.  Once all the sugar has been added, beat on med for 30 seconds and scrape down sides of bowl.  Ad in melted white chocolate and beat on medium until incorporated.  With mixer on low add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time.  Beat at medium speed until frosting has reached your desired consistency.