Pumpkin Blondies

So, there were a couple of reasons for me being M.I.A. on the blogging scene, one of which being our trip to North Carolina that I posted about last time.  The other reason is that I got a new job!!!  The transition from one job to the other has kept me really busy - starting with the interview for the new gig, finding out that I actually got it, and then training my replacement for the old one.  My last day was just this past Friday, and it took a lot of organizing and teaching to pass the torch to the new me.  I really wanted to show her everything because I wanted to leave the people I've been working with in good hands.  I know they are - just wanted to do everything I could to make sure, ya know?!  Also note, I may have been working with them on improving their health for the last year and a half, but I wanted to go out with a bang, so I took them a treat on my last day.  These pumpkin blondies were a hit!  Not so healthy, but definitely festive and delicious.  They loved them, and I know you will, too.

Pumpkin Blondies

Adapted from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/3 c. all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

15 oz. canned pumpkin puree

12 oz. chocolate chips (mix of white & bittersweet)

3/4 c. chopped pecans, optional

Directions

1. Line a 9x13 inch pan with tin foil & spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients.

3. Cream butter & sugars until smooth.

4. Beat in egg & vanilla.  Then beat in pumpkin.

5. Mix in dry ingredients until just combined.

6. Fold in chocolate chips.

7. Pour evenly into prepared pan & bake for 35-40 minutes.

8. Let cool completely in pan.  Remove from pan by grabbing the edges of the foil and set on counter or flat surface to cut squares.

***I covered them and let them settle over night because I wanted them to be more chewy than cakey (they were cakey right out of the oven).  They were perfectly chewy the next morning!!!

TWD: Birrrrthday Brrrownies for Jan

I'm a little tardy with this post (it is called Tuesdays With Dorie, afterall), but I'll explain myself at the end of this post.  Prepare yourselves to be green with envy.

All of my life I've pretty much known two kinds of brownies:  1) the Betty Crocker red box mix, which I love, and 2) dry, cakey homemade brownies from other people's kitchens.  My mom was strictly a Betty Crocker gal, and so I grew up on her side.  I still take her side on pretty much everything (excluding her stance on Donny Osmond, Barry Manilow, and the fact that she thinks I stole all of her movies when I moved away from home - I only brought with me what I bought myself or was given as a gift.  so there.), but the fabulous Dorie Greenspan is luring me over to the dark side of brownies made from scratch at home.  The only two recipes I've tried have been Dorie's from her cookbook Baking: From My Home to Yours, and neither have disappointed in the slightest.  My baking club, Tuesdays With Dorie, that is centered around this very cookbook had the pleasure of whipping up Brrrownies this week, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect!  The recipe calls for a heavy dose of York Peppermint Patties.  My mom is a die-hard fan of Junior Mints.  I know they aren't the same, but they're pretty darn close, and that's good enough for a lady who deserves the best.  Especially on her birthday!  I surprised my momma with a plate of these delights as she came out of work today.  She loved them.  I'm sure you'll love them, too.  Click here for the complete recipe.  Its short and sweet, and the fruits of your minimal labors will be totally worth it!

Happy Birthday, Mom!  I love love love you!

I was living in a dream yesterday, so I had to postpone the brrrownies just one day.  I went with my family to see the Sir Paul McCartney LIVE in concert!  My parents are both huge Beatles fans, but my dad especially loves them, so you know I was raised right.  My parents' "song" is Let it be, and one of my favorite memories of my dad is singing along while he played Hey Jude on the guitar.  Dick's family had different musical taste (not that there's anything wrong with that...except that there kind of is), so the concert was kind of a music education/appreciation experience for him.  And that's kind of ironic because he's so musically talented!  Anyway, here is a glimpse at one of the greatest nights of my life.  Seriously.

TWD: Brownies for Julia...SINFULLY gooey for Moulin Rouge!

I have to be honest, when I read the recipe - that you can find in full by clicking here at Chocolatechic - and it said that these brownies would be gooey, I didn't really believe it. But let me tell you, I will never call Dorie Greenspan a liar again! When that lady says "gooey" she means business. I've never been shy or ashamed of the fact that my favorite brownies come from a little red box with Betty Crocker's name on it - they are rich and fudgey, and I just love 'em! Plus, my love for them has grown leaps and bounds over the years as I've tasted dry & cakey homemade brownie after dry & cakey homemade brownie. If I wanted cake, I'd ask for cake...sorry...but not really. You know it's true. Anyway, I actually cooked these about 7 minutes longer than the recipe called for because I was worried they weren't really cooked. Also note, Ms. Greenspan isn't joking when she says these babies are delicate - you for sure have to wait for them to cool (some of my TWD pals even put them in the fridge and freezer to set them up a bit more!) before you cut them. If you're itching for some ooey gooey chocolatey goodness, this recipe will sweep you off your feet (it may even make you curl your toes!).

Rick Katz's Brownies For Julia

Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

You know what would be a perfect companion to these sinfully divine brownies? A romantic movie, of course! My #6 on the countdown to Valentine's Day is Moulin Rouge - which if you've seen the movie you know is "sinfully" good, just like these brownies, because Nicole Kidman plays, well, a prostitute. If you've never seen it before, don't let that scare you out of watching it! If you like musicals, you'll love it. If you like chick-flicks or romance, you'll love it. If you don't love it, we can still be friends, but we just won't be able to enjoy singing the soundtrack at the top of our lungs in the car together (which is what my oldest best friend Jackie and I did all through high school!). Love love love it!