Bloody Red Velvet Brownies (Fudgy, With Raspberry Blood Drizzle)

Rich, fudgy red velvet brownies dripping with white chocolate and raspberry “blood”. Inspired by three masked men, one very questionable Halloween party and my apparently endless enthusiasm for fictional red flags.

The Snack for a Halloween Party You Probably Shouldn’t Attend

You know those cute little Halloween baking recipes?

The ones with smiling ghosts, adorable pumpkins and little chocolate spiders?

Yeah.

We’re not making those today.

Today, I’m making brownies that look like they’ve witnessed something they absolutely shouldn’t have.

Welcome to the darker side of my Saturday Night Sip, Snack & Smut Halloween double feature.

This time, the inspiration is Scream for Us by Molly Doyle.

Three masked men.

One legendary Halloween party.

A good girl who finds herself caught up in a very dangerous game.

And a whole collection of fictional red flags that would have me running in the opposite direction in real life.

In fiction, though?

Well, my Kindle history suggests I have some explaining to do.

So naturally, I decided the perfect snack for this particular reading night would be something dark, dramatic and just a little bloody.

Enter my Bloody Red Velvet Brownies.

These beauties are rich, fudgy and gorgeously red, with little pockets of white chocolate hiding inside.

Then, because apparently regular brownies weren’t dramatic enough, I’ve drizzled them with melted white chocolate and a homemade raspberry sauce that looks suspiciously like blood.

Delicious, obviously.

Slightly concerning to anyone walking into the kitchen without context?

Also yes.

And the best part is that the brownie batter comes together in one bowl, with no mixer required.

Because if I’m choosing between spending an hour washing kitchen equipment or spending an hour reading about fictional masked men, I think we all know which one is winning.

A little warning before the chocolate comes out: Scream for Us is an adult dark romance with substantial content warnings, including violence, attempted sexual assault and intense sexual themes. It’s definitely not a cosy Halloween read, so check the full warnings and your comfort level before diving in. Fictional red flags can stay fictional, thank you very much.

Right.

Now that we’ve established the brownies are probably the least concerning part of this reading night, let’s get baking.

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What You’ll Need

Makes: 12 deliciously fudgy brownies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 22 to 25 minutes, plus cooling

Difficulty: Surprisingly easy for something that looks this suspicious.

For the Red Velvet Brownies

• 125 g unsalted butter, melted
• 200 g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 teaspoons red gel food colouring
• 90 g plain flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white vinegar
• 80 g white chocolate chips

For the Raspberry Blood and White Chocolate Drip

• 100 g frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• 50 g white chocolate, melted

And that’s it.

Nothing particularly complicated.

Just chocolate, raspberries and enough red food colouring to make anyone peeking into your kitchen ask a few questions.

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How to Make Them

Step 1: Prepare Your Baking Tin

Preheat your oven to 170°C fan-forced (190°C conventional).

Line a 20 cm square baking tin with baking paper, leaving a little overhang on the sides.

That overhang is going to make lifting your brownies out much easier later.

And trust me, once they’re baked, the last thing you want is to be wrestling with a tin while trying to keep those gorgeous fudgy centres intact.

Step 2: Make the Red Velvet Batter

Grab a large mixing bowl and whisk together your melted butter and caster sugar until combined.

Add the eggs, vanilla extract, red gel food colouring and white vinegar.

Whisk everything together until the mixture looks smooth, glossy and wonderfully red.

And when I say red, I mean properly dramatic.

We’re not going for a delicate little blush here.

We’re going for something suspicious happened at the Halloween party red.

Next, sift in the plain flour, cocoa powder and salt.

Gently fold everything together until just combined.

Don’t overmix.

I want these brownies rich and fudgy, not cakey.

Finally, fold through the white chocolate chips.

Because adding little pockets of creamy white chocolate to a rich red velvet brownie is never going to be a bad decision.

Unlike some of the choices being made in our Halloween reading material.

Step 3: Bake Until Fudgy

Spread your brownie batter evenly into the prepared tin.

Pop it into the oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes.

You’re looking for set edges and a centre that’s cooked but still lovely and soft.

A skewer inserted into the middle should come out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.

Whatever you do, don’t overbake them.

These are supposed to be dense, fudgy brownies.

Not dry little chocolate bricks.

Once they’re done, remove them from the oven and leave them to cool completely in the tin.

I know. Waiting for brownies to cool is a special kind of torture.

But if you want those gorgeous, clean squares with the beautiful red centre, patience is unfortunately required.

Rude, really.

Step 4: Make the Raspberry Blood

Now for my favourite part.

The bit that takes these from ordinary red velvet brownies to something that looks like it belongs at a dark Halloween party.

Add your frozen raspberries and icing sugar to a small saucepan.

Simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the raspberries have broken down and the mixture becomes thick and syrupy.

Press the sauce through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.

You should be left with a beautiful, glossy, deep red raspberry drizzle.

Sweet, tart and just runny enough to look wonderfully dramatic when it runs down the sides of your brownies.

Let it cool until just warm.

And perhaps wipe down the kitchen bench before anyone starts asking why there’s red liquid everywhere.

Step 5: Serve With a Little Menace

Once your brownies have cooled completely, lift them out of the tin and cut them into 12 squares.

Now melt your white chocolate until smooth.

Drizzle a little over each brownie, letting it run naturally over the edges.

You could stop here.

They’d be perfectly lovely.

But that’s not why we’re here.

Spoon your raspberry sauce over the top, allowing it to drip over the white chocolate and down the sides.

Don’t worry about making the drips perfectly even.

In fact, the messier and more uneven they look, the better.

You’re after dark Halloween drama, not a perfectly piped birthday cake.

Step back and admire your work.

Deep red brownies.

Creamy white chocolate.

Glossy raspberry blood.

Absolutely gorgeous.

And only slightly alarming.

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Cosy Kitchen Notes

Gel food colouring is your best friend here.

If you want that gorgeous deep red velvet colour, use gel colouring rather than the regular liquid stuff.

Gel gives you a much stronger colour without adding loads of extra liquid to your batter.

The exact amount will depend on the brand, so start with a little and build up until you’re happy with the colour.

And yes, you want it properly red.

This is Halloween. Subtlety can have the night off.

Please don’t overbake your brownies.

I know I’ve already said it, but it’s worth repeating.

The secret to a really good fudgy brownie is taking it out while the centre is still slightly soft.

It will continue setting as it cools.

Wait until it’s completely firm in the oven and you’ll miss out on that gorgeous dense texture.

And personally, I didn’t come here for dry cake pretending to be a brownie.

Want those beautiful, clean slices?

Once your brownies have cooled, pop the slab into the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Then cut with a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between slices.

You’ll get lovely neat squares that show off all that deep red colour and white chocolate inside.

Of course, if you’re making these purely for yourself and your Kindle, I fully support cutting one enormous square and calling it a serving.

I’m not the brownie police.

Make the raspberry blood ahead of time.

You can prepare the raspberry sauce up to 3 days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge.

If it thickens too much, gently warm it before drizzling.

Which means less kitchen work on reading night.

And more time for fictional men who should probably come with their own warning labels.

No raspberries? No problem.

Warm a little strawberry jam with a splash of water, then press it through a sieve.

You’ll still get a lovely glossy red drizzle, although the flavour will be a little sweeter.

Personally, I love the tartness of raspberry against all that rich chocolate.

It cuts through the sweetness beautifully.

Don’t decorate them too early.

If you’re making these ahead for a Halloween gathering, bake the brownies in advance but save the white chocolate and raspberry drizzle until closer to serving.

That way, you’ll get the prettiest contrast between the red velvet, white chocolate and glossy raspberry sauce.

Plus, decorating them is half the fun.

Now, about that cocktail…

You didn’t think I was going to serve blood-dripped brownies without a suitably wicked drink, did you?

I’m pairing these with my Poison Apple Martini.

It’s crisp, tart and packed with sour green apple flavour, with a blood-red sugar rim that looks absolutely gorgeous next to these brownies.

And the pairing isn’t just about making my Halloween table look like something out of a dark romance.

The sharp, refreshing apple flavour helps balance all that rich chocolate and creamy white chocolate sweetness.

Honestly, it’s a ridiculously good combination.

And if you’re skipping alcohol, there’s also The Antidote, a sparkling alcohol-free apple version with all the same Halloween drama.

Get the Poison Apple Martini and alcohol-free Antidote recipe here.

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The Last Bite

I think we’ve established by now that my idea of a cosy Saturday reading night is slightly different from some people’s.

Most people hear “Halloween baking” and think cute little ghost cupcakes.

I hear “Halloween baking” and somehow end up making brownies that look like they were discovered at a crime scene.

And pairing them with a dark romance involving three masked men.

Perfectly normal behaviour.

But that’s exactly what I love about Saturday Night Sip, Snack & Smut.

It’s not just about making a nice dessert.

It’s about taking the atmosphere of a book and turning it into something you can actually enjoy while you’re reading.

And for Scream for Us, I wanted something dark, rich, dramatic and just a little dangerous-looking.

These Bloody Red Velvet Brownies absolutely deliver.

They’re beautifully fudgy, full of rich chocolate flavour, dotted with creamy white chocolate and finished with that gorgeous sweet-tart raspberry drizzle.

They look sinister.

They taste delicious.

And unlike the fictional men inspiring this particular reading night, they come with a recipe explaining exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

Which is reassuring.

So grab your favourite blanket, make yourself a Poison Apple Martini, pile a couple of brownies onto a plate and settle in for a properly atmospheric Halloween night.

Read something dark.

Enjoy the chocolate.

Keep your fictional red flags firmly on the page.

And maybe don’t answer the door if three masked men happen to show up.

Just a thought.

Now I Need to Know…

Are you team fudgy brownie or team cakey brownie?

Because I have some very strong feelings about this.

And more importantly…

What’s your ultimate dark romance reading-night snack?

Are you reaching for chocolate, something salty, an entire packet of lollies, or are you one of those people who gets so absorbed in a book that you forget to eat?

Because I genuinely don’t understand how that last group functions.

If you’re looking for more book-inspired cocktails, delicious snacks and excuses to spend your Saturday night ignoring your responsibilities, you’ll find plenty more in my Saturday Night Sip, Snack & Smut series.

Good books. Delicious snacks. Questionable fictional men.

Honestly, what more does a reading night need?

Inspired by Scream for Us by Molly Doyle. This is an independent EmberSas reading-night creation, not an official collaboration or sponsored recipe.

Shop the Spooky Reading Mood

The reading-night menu is sorted. Here are a few things from my EmberSas shop for a Kindle case and bookshelf with equally questionable Halloween plans.

The Kindle inserts are printable digital downloads with PDF and PNG files. No physical insert, case or device is included. Shelf signs are physical items. Check the individual product pages for sizing, options and care instructions.