Red Velvet Cupcakes

Original Recipe found here.

Its been awhile since I have posted, for that I apologize!  Things have been busy and I have not had to time to edit photos and write up postings!  Here are the cupcakes I made for Valentines Day! (Yes, even though I haven't been posting, I am still cooking all the time!!)  To be honest, I haven't yet tried the cupcakes in their entirety.  I had some of the cake without the frosting. Tomorrow I will be taking them to work and I'll let you know how many minuted go by before they are all gone! =)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring (if using the liquid, if not 1 tablespoon will be fine!)

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 cup muffin pans with cupcake papers.  You will get 2 batches out of this recipe.  You can also use as a cake recipe.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a mixer.  The recipe suggested a hand-held, but I used my stand mixer.  Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting. 

Frost with cream cheese frosting recipe, found here.

Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

I wanted to find a different brownie recipe and started looking.  I came across this recipe on another blog and decided to give it a try.  I made thicker brownies in an 8 x 8" pan.  I would definitely suggest the 9 x 13" for thinner brownies. Mine ended up tasting more like fudge.  After they sat out for a day, they tasted a lot better and not as thick.  These brownies are VERY moist.  The cream cheese frosting recipe can be found here.

1 can dark red kidney beans
1 1lb. 2.3oz. box Brownie Mix
2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
1 1oz. bottle red food dye
water

Preheat oven to 350'. Spray bottom only of a 9x13" pan. Rinse and drain beans well. Rinse can. Return rinsed beans to can, fill can with water to within 1/2 inch of top of can. Pour into blender and blend WELL, and then blend again, really well! You shouldn't see any grains or skins. Blend dye in with bean mixture. Poor brownie mix and cocoa into large bowl and add bean and dye mixture and mix well.  Your kidney beans are replacing the water, eggs, etc called for on the box. Poor into baking pan and bake on bottom rack of oven for 24-26 minutes. Allow to cool completely and then flip onto a cutting board and freeze for about an hour. They will be flat, but shouldn't be dry.

*karisa*