Valentine Red Velvet Brownies

When I first made this recipe a couple weeks ago, it felt like I would have to wait forever before posting it...and now all of the sudden Valentine's Day is so close. Where does the time go?!

Valentine's Day treats are some of my favorite things to make. I love the pretty pinks and reds, the sparkles and sprinkles, the dainty sizes and of course the heart shapes.

And of course I'm a sucker for anything red velvet.

To make these brownies extra special, I added chocolate chips, cut them into heart shapes and frosted them with cream cheese frosting.

Valentine Red Velvet Brownies
Slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. cocoa powder

3 tbsp. red food coloring

1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 x 8 pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, red food coloring, and 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir until smooth.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar then add eggs and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla. Next mix in the cocoa powder mixture. Beat until the batter is completely red. Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined. Finally,fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread in the 8 x 8 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes (I like mine to be a bit more gooey so I only baked them for 25 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting and frosting.

For the frosting, I used this recipe with an added splash (about 2 tablespoons) of milk. For a variation in flavor add a splash of orange juice instead.