Autumn Baking: Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

After making the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies earlier this week, I had about a cup of pumpkin puree sitting in the fridge waiting to find out it's destiny! I wanted to make something other than the pumpkin pancakes I usually make with leftover pumpkin. I was craving chocolate, and there's nothing better to quell a chocolate craving than a warm gooey brownie. I googled for a recipe for pumpkin brownies and found this one on Marthastewart.com. These brownies are SO good, I had one for breakfast yesterday morning and TWO for dinner last night! :D They are really gooey and delicious. It's like a wonderful cross between a fudgy brownie and yummy pumpkin pie. Soooooo terrific!! I made mine in an 8x8 pan so they'd be thick and tall. Of course they took a little longer to bake, and I still took them out before they were done because I like my brownies REALLY gooey (i.e., I'd pretty much eat them raw)! Here's a photo, followed by the fabulous recipe. Enjoy!


Recipe from Marthastewart.com

MY NOTES: If you make these in an 8x8, you should bake them for about 1 hour.

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies
Makes 16

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted this because I didn't have any, but I'd love to know how they taste with it!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts (I used pecans)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter lining.
Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.
Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don't set.
With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.