Pink Cheesecake Oreo Brownie Cups

What do you get when you combine red food coloring, Oreos, and my favorite ingredient?

 

 

Pink Cheesecake Oreo Brownie Cups
Yield: 8 cupcakes

Brownie Layer
11 oz of brownie mix (half a bag)
1 egg
2 tbsp. water, applesauce, and oil, each
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Oreo Layer
8 oreos
4 oz cream cheese
2-1/2 tbsp. sugar
2 drops red food coloring

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz cream cheese
1 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 drop red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix brownie ingredients, set aside.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and food coloring.  Remove filling from Oreos* and spread a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in between.

Layer a spoonful of brownie mix in the bottom of a cupcake liner and set filled Oreo on top.  Cover with another spoonful of brownie mix.

Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and butter until mixed; add powdered sugar.  Beat.  Add red food coloring.  Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

*You could use 16 oreos and put the cream cheese mixture between two whole Oreos.  My cupcake liners were really full though, so I only did one that way.

These were created in my mind late at night when I couldn't fall asleep.  I had seen this idea on Pinterest layering peanut butter, Oreos, and brownie in a cupcake.  Since this is Valentine's week, I'm on a food coloring kick.  My problem was I couldn't figure out how to make peanut butter to look pink.  (If you have success, let me know!)  So then I thought, what could I put in between the Oreos that could be pink?

When in doubt, think cream cheese.

A simple mixture of cream cheese, sugar, and good old red food coloring (I've used it more these past couple days then I have in the whole year) and you have your filling.  Throw in some Oreos and brownies and you've got success . . . the doesn't involve mixing peanut butter and food coloring.

Some combinations just work.  Like peanut butter and chocolate.  Spaghetti and marinara.  And others, well, the just don't.  My mom considers some of my combos as "don't" but I'll stick with some pretty obvious ones here.  Seafood and ice cream.  Nutella and hamburger meat.  Really, what are people thinking? 

As obvious as those combos seem, there are some I choose to do, even though I know they are, um, misguided soul mates.  Things like someone's juicy failure and prayer request in the same sentence.  Or telling God I trust Him and then turning around and trying to do it myself.  I laugh at weird combinations like Nutella and hamburger meat and then commit unlaughable ones myself.  Hypocrites drive me crazy.  It makes me so mad when people condemn something and then go ahead and do it.  And then I think, wow, God puts up with that every single day - and still offers grace - every single day!  That is a combination I could never live without.