pumpkin blondies: two ways

Oh hey, Libby. We meet again.

I didn’t have class yesterday morning and therefore had a pretty extensive to-do list.

That list was somehow scrapped in favor of making two batches of pumpkin blondies and going to the new DSW in Canton to buy rain boots. My old ones ripped about 2 years ago and I’m sick of squishing around in regular shoes in this monsoon. Plus, Tommy Hilfiger boots for $35? Please and thank you.

I was originally just going to make one batch, because I signed up to bring dessert to the carbo-loading dinner hosted at my house last night. All of my roommates are currently participating in the Baltimore Running Festival. I’m clearly not, but I carbo-load daily and was totally on board with a big pasta dinner.

So I finished the first batch, and then remembered that the boys in my class were bitching last week that I haven’t baked for them “in a really really long time.” I had been between two recipes anyway, so why not keep the hand mixer out a little while longer?

Blondie Batch #1

adapted from Lauren’s Latest

(makes an 8×8 dish of blondies)

6 tbs softened butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tbs whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

chocolate chips

This is pretty straightforward. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add in increments. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 in a greased 8X8 pan. Lauren said to bake for 12-15 minutes but mine still seemed raw at that point- I’d say I baked them for closer to 20 or 25 and they are still suuuper moist and chewy.

Blondie Batch #2

adapted from Half Baked Harvest

(makes a 9X13 dish of blondies)

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

chocolate chips

Same process. Wet ingredients, fold in the dry then chocolate chips. Bake at 350 in a greased 9×13 pan for 25-30 minutes.

Both are delicious, I can’t really choose a favorite which is why I’m giving you both recipes. Batch #1 is much more moist, and probably has a stronger pumpkin flavor. Batch #2 is slightly more cakey, but also more reminiscent of a regular blondie texture. It also makes twice as many so if you’re feeding a crowd I’d go with this one.