October 21, 2014

Pumpkin Spice Brownies

Yesterday, I whined about how I never bake anymore and then I blamed Pinterest and the general food-blogging population.

However, over the the weekend, I started baking.  First, pumpkin cookies.  Then, I came up with a brand new recipe.  I used a basic brownie recipe that I've adapted from Rachael Ray magazine and I changed it up for this pumpkin-loving season.  

I have 3 giant cans of pumpkin to use.  I always buy a lot when given the opportunity because you never know when the mood for pumpkin desserts will strike.  I was thinking about what I could make and I thought of brownies.  I didn't want to rip off a recipe that had already been done over and over again, so I searched Pinterest and Google to see if there was already a recipe out there.  There were a couple and they fit directly into the two categories I mentioned yesterday.  There was something vegan, with xylitol and almond meal or something and then there was 1 can of pumpkin + one box of brownie mix.
Mmmmm, right?

Here's a real pumpkin brownie recipe that is quick to whip up and is fudgy and decadent enough to impress.



Pumpkin Spice Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
makes an 8x8 pan

2 T. butter, softened
4 T. cocoa powder
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 T. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chocolate chips

With a mixer, combine the butter, cocoa powder, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs, and sugar.  Mix on low until combined.  Hand mixer or stand mixer will work best, but you can use a big wooden spoon too, if the butter is soft enough. Stir in the flour and pumpkin pie spice until everything is well-combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Check the center with a toothpick after 25 minutes.

Allow to cool and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting, or a frosting of your choice.  If you use cream cheese in the frosting, be sure to store the brownies in the fridge.

1 tub of whipped cream cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 t. vanilla
about 3 cups powdered sugar (I don't like giving exact numbers on the sugar.  You know the consistency you want.)
1 T. meringue powder (Optional, but will help the frosting harden.  Found in the wedding aisle at Wal-Mart)

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, using a hand mixer or the whisk on a stand mixer.  Add the vanilla.  Then, add the sugar until you reach the consistency you want.  Add the meringue powder last.

8 comments:

  1. Making these for my next tailgate!!! Yay for getting your baking mojo back. Also? There's a wedding aisle at your Walmart? You've got yourself a fancy Walmart!!!! Haha

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  2. Those look yummy! I'd be interested in having your adapted regular brownie recipe, too!

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  3. These look fabulous and fudgy, which is important to me in a brownie. Pinning.

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  4. Yum!! I love the combination of chocolate and pumpkin - so many people are grossed out by that! Topping it with cream cheese can only possibly make it better, too.

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  5. I have a can of pumpkin to use and I've been trying to decide what to do. Pumpkin brownies sound good but I was also thinking pumpkin oatmeal snack balls (if such a thing actually exists.) I'm all about snacking. My email is estherdavison@gmail.com since I'm a no-reply blogger and I haven't fixed it.

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  6. Oh my stinking goodness! These sound SO GOOD!!!!

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  7. I hate brownies, but these... these I could love!

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  8. Pumpkin and chocolate were just meant to be. By far one of my favorite flavor combos.

    I don't know why some recipe sites/blogs/whatever feel the need to post really weird vegan recipes with weird unobtainable ingredients. 99.9% of my baking is vegan and I never use any of that crap.

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