Pumpkin Blondies

Pumpkins are terribly versatile. You can roast them and add them to a salad or a casserole; you can make a mash or use them as a base for a delicious fall harvest soup. You can use them in your baked goods, like in the staple pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies, or in the traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. You can also use them in your Halloween crafts by painting or carving them, and they work great as decorations, whether in your kitchen or on your front porch. They are even commonly used in fall pregnancy announcements and Starbucks drinks. It’s as if the leaves falling from the trees are a signal for the pumpkins to take over the world.

However, even with all these options, pumpkins are not something my family ever used much. So I only recently started enjoying this magic ingredient in my recipes. This fall, I wanted to bake something pumpkin-flavored, but I also wanted to create something original. As cute as they are, I find that pumpkin cookies don’t really taste like pumpkin at all. I was dead-set on coming up with a recipe that would burst with the traditional fall flavors – a bit like pumpkin pie, but less crazy.

One morning, the idea hit me: pumpkin blondies! Here is my take on this distinctive type of brownies.

Pumpkin Blondies

These are perfect to take at a Halloween party or to enjoy with a warm cup of tea while watching horror movies (check out my Scary Movies post for some movie inspo). Chewy and moist, they are perfectly balanced and a little addicting. Consume with caution.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
  
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed pumpkin
• 1 cup chocolate chips

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan by greasing it and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Let the paper hang on two sides to help remove the blondies from the pan later.
2. Mix the flour with the salt and the pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar, until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
4. Beat in the eggs, followed by the pumpkin. Beat again.
5. Add in the flour and blend until well combined.
6. Add in the chocolate chips.
7. Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan.
8. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Time may differ depending on the oven.
9. Let cool completely before transferring onto a cutting board and cutting into squares.
10. Put on your favorite scarf and enjoy outside among the falling leaves.

Extra tips:

• Do not substitute the mashed pumpkin for pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices mixed in, so your blondies will be waaaaay too sweet (not to mention they’ll have a weird texture).
• You can also use an 8-inch square baking pan if you want thicker, higher blondies. They will take longer to cook, though.
• If you are using a Pyrex baking pan, the blondies might take a little longer to cook also.
• Don’t give these to trick-or-treaters on Halloween night; they could cause addiction problems in your neighborhood.
• Do not show these to those eating regular brownies; jealousy could result.
  

If you end up trying these out (which, hum, you should!), make sure to tag me on Instagram or use the hashtag #teaandmascara. Have a great week, guys!

Much love,
-TM-