Red Velvet Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Butter or grease an 8 x 8 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer add the melted butter and sugar. Mix until just combined. One at a time, add the vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring and vinegar and mix between additions, until just combined.

3. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl then mix them into the other ingredients. Then using a rubber spatula gently fold in the flour until just combined. Add the batter into the pan, reserving about 1/4 cup of the batter that will be used on the top of the brownies to swirl with the cream cheese layer.

4. To make the cream cheese layer: In a medium sized bowl cream together the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla. It will look a little like runny frosting.

5. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter that is already in the pan. Dollop the extra brownie batter on top of the cream cheese layer. Then, using a knife or toothpick, swirl the layers together. Swirl as much as you like until you get the desired level of “swirl”.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and let the brownies cool entirely before cutting.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe by Culinary Concoctions By Peabody for “Red Velvet Swirl Brownies” which she adapted originally from Sunny Anderson, host of “Cooking for Real”.