White Chocolate Frosted Brownies

I have had this recipe bookmarked for awhile now. I saw it on one of my most favorite blogs, How Sweet It Is. She's lovely and her red velvet brownies with white chocolate frosting looked lovely. I was excited to finally get the chance to make them! The frosting is to DIE for, it really was so delish. I had doubled the brownie recipe and my intentions were to make them red velvet, but I did not have 4 tablespoons, yes tablespoons of red food coloring, so I skipped the red velvet part and just made regular brownies. They are so chewy and dense and go superbly with the white chocolate frosting. I don't think I'd double the recipe next time, the cooking time seemed to be a little off and the edges got too crunchy, but we cut off the edges and they were yummy.

White Chocolate Frosted Brownies 
Recipe from How Sweet It Is


Brownies
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons red food coloring *I substituted water instead, not sure if its necessary
2/3 cups chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour an 8 x 8 cake pan. In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, red food coloring (I used water), and 1 teaspoon vanilla to create a paste. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add remaining teaspoon of vanilla. With the mixer on medium speed, add in cocoa powder mixture. (You can add in more food coloring if desired at this time, until it is as red as you like it. If doing red velvet of course). Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips if desired. Spread in the 8 x 8 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

White Chocolate Frosting
1 stick of butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces white chocolate, melted 
1-2 tablespoons milk (or more if needed)

Cream butter in an electric mixer until fluffy, then add vanilla. Slowly add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time with the mixer on low speed. Add in melted white chocolate and beat until incorporated. To reach desired consistency, add in milk 1 teaspoon at a time with mixer on low speed. If frosting becomes too liquidy, simple add additional sugar.