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. 

Berry Tart

Simple, delicious.

This one went to a hungry crew this past summer. It did not survive intact, it was a bummer. But I heard they still enjoyed it.

1 tart crust - you can see my recipe from a few days before this one
Fresh berries
1 cup coarse chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1/8 cup heavy cream

Melt chocolate in sauce pan on medium-low heat. Add in the cream and mix completely until smooth. remove from heat and pour some into the baked, cooled pie crust and swirl a little coat the edges. Set aside to let firm up completely.

Custard - Vanilla Bean

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk or half and half
8 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 vanilla bean halved and cut lengthwise

Heat milk, cream, and vanilla bean in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling, you will see steam issuing from the milk when you stir. Stir often. 

While milk heats, whisk together yolks, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl until combine.Remove bean from milk once you can smell the vanilla and before you combine the eggs.

Add 1 cup hot milk to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, then add remaining milk, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 6 to 10 minutes (do not boil and do not over cook, the eggs will separate).Remove from heat and let cook to room temp, pour into pie crust and refirgerate for about 2 hourse before topping with berries.

Once cool, top with berries and drizzle with a little bit of chocolate. 

Serve chilled.