Spiced Pumpkin Brownies

Well it has been a while since the last post, but here we are again, and its fall! I have been working with this one for the last couple days and I think I finally got it right.

These brownies are extremely moist, rich and light.

Spiced Pumpkin Brownies

1 cup butter (softened)

1 ¾ cups brown sugar (packed) – you can use white sugar aswell

1 tbsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract

5 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp powdered ginger

½ tsp cardamom

¼ tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pumpkin puree

5 oz unsweetened chocolate (melted)

¼ cup cacao powder

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 400, then reduce to 350.

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add extractsand beat in eggs one at a time, making sure fully combined after each egg.Mixture should be light and fluffy. Add in spices and pumpkin, mix well. Add incacao powder, mix well. Add in melted chocolate slowly and then beat for aminute or two after all chocolate is in. Once completely blended, add flour andmix gently just until blended.

Pour into a buttered and floured 9 x 13 inch baking dish andbake for 20 – 25 minutes. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (for lack of a better name)

I kinda poached this recipe from a newspaper but changed it so much I am calling it my own. They are almost like eating a really moist scone. You can do a simple sugar glaze on them for some extra flare, but they are lovely without. You can used a cup canned pumpkin or roast your own. If you roast your own sugar bear pumpkin, you have more control over the flavour of the cookie.

1 cup self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup room temperature butter
1 1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1 cup  pureed pumpkin - bake a whole one with brown sugar and butter or use from can
3 large eggs at room temperature
l teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup miniature dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly spray with cooking spray. Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.

Cream the butter in a mixer then add and cream together butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until very light and smooth. Scraping sides frequently to ensure full combination.

Mix together on medium speed with the butter/sugar mix: pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract and blend until well-combined. Scrape sides frequently to ensure full combination.

On low speed, add the dry ingredients (a scoop or two at a time) until just blended, about 2 minutes. Hand mix in chocolate chips until combine. The mixture should be a biscuit like consistency, not too wet like cake batter, but not like a chocolate chip cookie dough either. Light and fluffy.
If its too wet, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time.

Use 2 serving spoons to drop batter into mounds (about 2 tablespoons each), 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Cookies will spread when they bake.



Bake until the bottoms are golden brown, about 8 - 15 minutes (check after 8, 10 is usually the perfect amount of time, but some ovens cook faster or slower. Transfer to wire racks and let cookies cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Makes 36 cookies.