Monday, October 31, 2011

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

This is a drive-by post! We went to Durham, NC, to spend Parents and Family Weekend with our son at college (Sob...this is his last year), so I haven't been home in days. Thus, I'm just passing along a recipe I'm dying to make! I've been saving it, hoping to bake these and tell you about them. But alas...I can't be Superwoman. So here you go. I subscribe to Martha Stewart's Cookie of the Day emails (thank you, Tina, for putting me on to this!), and this one caught my eye. There's a link below if you'd like to check out her site and get on her mailing list. (No, I don't get any kickback from it.) :)

Enjoy!!
Missy




            Yield 
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
            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
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.

17 comments:

  1. MUST TRY THIS!!! If pumpkin roll with chocolate chips is to die for good, why wouldn't this be wonderful???

    Cayenne pepper, huh?

    Might skip that. Although I bet it gives a hint of bite like cloves do to pumpkin dishes.

    Missy, glad you had a great weekend in NC...

    And glad you're back!

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  2. One of my favorite things about fall is pumpkin stuff. Pumpkin scents and pumpkin recipes. And this one sounds like a keeper.
    RUTHY, don't be a wimp. They it with the cayenne. It won't be hot, but it will liven up all the other flavors. Trust me.

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  3. I've never been a baker but now I'm beginning to understand why they sell butter in these huge 4,8 pack bundles! when I bother to cook it's usually healhty - I've gotten my fattening stuff(and lots of it) already done!
    these do sound awfully good though..

    Susanna

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  4. Just looking at those things makes my mouth water!

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  5. Hi, all! We're back from our trip, and I'm exhausted. I didn't get in until about 10 last night. The drive ended up taking 6-1/2 hours because of construction traffic. And I drove the whole way (my hubby left the day before to get back for church). I'm still recovering!

    Maybe this week, I'll be able to try these brownies. :)

    Yeah, Susanna, if you bake, you need lots of butter! :)

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  6. These sound wonderful!

    And Ruthy, don't skip the cayenne. If it adds the same savory/sweet kick to this that it does to roasted sweet potatoes, it will be FABulous.

    I'm just wondering if my pumpkin-pie-loving son will let me dip into the stash of canned pumpkin to try these...

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  7. Martha Stewart has a cookie of the day??? Oh, I so didn't need to know that! But I'm wary of the cayenne pepper. There's something not right about adding hot to sweet. I tried a cayenne pepper flavoured chocolate bar once and...yeeech!

    Rest up, Missy!

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  8. I love chocolates that have pepper added. So I think I'll try it! :)

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  9. Jan, I have a pumpkin pie nut son as well. We usually make 2 pies at holidays because he eats one himself. :)

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  10. Yes Missy, I do the same thing! He has to share the pies, though. All six of us love them, so we'll each have a piece for dessert, and then another one for breakfast the next morning.

    Hmmm, I think I might have to make some pumpkin pie for supper tonight...

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  11. Kav, I agree with you about the chocolate bars with weird things added...I was thinking about the cayenne with pumpkin, but now that I think about it, I'm not too sure about cayenne with the chocolate. I'll still try the recipe, though. Around our house, someone will eat the brownies even if I don't!

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  12. These sound fabulous. My daughter and I made pumpkin walnut chocolate chip cookies yesterday that were AMAZING! The only bad (or possibly good) thing was that she had to take them to school today so they are gone.

    I'm thinking I'd like to try the recipe again with bits of apple as an alternative to the choc chips. Bet that would taste great too.

    Missy, after that drive, you deserve someone else making them for you!

    PS - got my gift of your book in the mail! Thank you!!!!

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  13. I"m glad you got the book! :)

    Yeah, I'm funny with chocolate chips. I don't usually want them with anything fruity. So I think apple would work well in your cookie.

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  14. If I ever go on a diet I'm going to stop following this blog. Wow those look yummy!!!

    Thanks for sharin'

    XOXO~ Renee

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  15. Yum! This looks super delicious and tasty. I'm definitely going to have to try it one time :)

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  16. LOL, Renee. We just won't allow you to diet. :)

    Let us know how they are, Cindy! I just bought the ingredients to finally make them. :)

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