Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

    Cheesecake, when added to almost any dessert, makes it a million times fancier. Brownies are certainly no exception. When you not only add cheesecake but make the brownies red velvet on top of it all? Well prepare for pure magic in your mouth! The process to make these has a few extra steps but is still pretty simple. If you're not into all of the steps you can go check out my simple brownie recipe but you should definitely try this out if you're looking for something a little more elevated. 

    To make these I first mix my brownie batter. Then, in a separate bowl, beat together my cheesecake batter. My brownie batter starts by melting butter, then mixing in my sugars, oil, eggs one at at time, vanilla, and white vinegar. The vinegar is what gives the red velvet its flavor and some of its color. Next, I sift together my cocoa powder,  flour, and baking powder before I fold it into my wet ingredients. I finish off my brownie batter by mixing in as much red food coloring as I need to achieve the color I want. 

    My cheesecake batter is much easier. First I beat my softened cream cheese to get it nice and smooth before adding my egg and sugar and beating it again. You can do this by hand if you're looking for a really good arm workout, but I recommend  using a hand mixer or stand mixer since cream cheese can be a little stiff. 

    Once both batters are mixed, I grease a 9x13 or 8x8 baking dish. I like to use a 9x13 so that it goes a little farther when feeding a crowd but if you like a thicker brownie then I recommend using an 8x8 and increasing the bake time about 5 minutes. With the baking dish greased, I first pour in my red velvet brownie batter, then my cheesecake batter. I like to use a spatula or a toothpick to create swirls in the top of my batter but that part is totally optional if you prefer a plain layered look. 

    With my batters in the pan, I put them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to bake for 25-30 minutes or until the middles are no longer jiggly. When they are done baking I let them cool for a bit before I dig in so that the cheesecake has a little extra time to set and I don't burn my mouth when I chow down. The resulting brownies are so stinking good! They have that signature richness of a brownie while having that extra tang from the cheesecake and color from the red velvet. One of my favorite mashups of three amazing treats!

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