Valentine's Day originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine. Through later folk traditions it has become a celebration of romance and love. In the 14th and 15th century it became associated with the "love birds" of early spring. Then in the 18th Century in England it grew into an occasion for couples to express their love for each other. The custom of sending cards, flowers, chocolate and other gifts originated in England. I for one, certainly appreciate this tradition!  When looking for a recipe for February, I was drawn to chocolate. I read dozens of recipes. When I came across the Red Velvet Swirl Brownies I decided I had to try it. Actually, I tried it twice. The first time I used a glass baking pan. I should have remembered that metal pans spread the heat more evenly and unless there is a particular reason for not using metal, one should. The brownies in the glass pan did not bake in 30 minutes and I had to bake them longer. They did not rise as high and were brown on top. As soon as I used the metal pan, they were perfect. At least, we thought they were perfect when we were enjoying them. They are yummy. If you think you have to have ice cream with them you may enjoy slightly warmed Bonne Maman Four Fruits Preserves with raspberries, strawberries, cherries, red currents and raspberries. Whether you decide to eat the brownies with ice cream or without, I think you will really enjoy these easy to make Red Velvet Swirl Brownies. Happy Valentine's Day!

1 tablespoon unsalted butter for 8x8 baking pan

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Butter an 8x8 baking pan

3.  Brownie Layer:  In a saucepan on medium heat melt the butter. Remove the butter to a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar, in that order, mixing between additions. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and stir it into the cocoa mix. Fold in the flour until lightly combined. Stir in the walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, saving 1/4 cup of the batter for the top.

4.  Cream cheese layer:  Blend together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently spread the cream cheese layer on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining 1/4 cup brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, drag the tip through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern. Bake the brownies 30 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before cutting. 

*The original recipe was shared by Sunny Anderson from the Food Network.

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