Pumpkies

 For years, I've searched for the right pumpkin brownie recipe. Now, I'm not talking about Pumpkin Swirl Brownies that are your basic chocolate brownie with pumpkin swirled through them. I'm talking about a pumpkin bar recipe that is not chocolate, but has the same texture as a brownie, know what I mean? Just like the Orange Brownies, or the Lemony Lemon Brownies, or my favorite, the amazing Vanilla Bean Brownies, I wanted a pumpkin version. Well, friends, I think I've finally found it. And they're appropriately called Pumpkies! I found them on a website called Mother Thyme, and they're just exactly what I was looking for. Soft and delicious, and just about as close to a brownie texture you can get without being an actual chocolate brownie. It was suggested that you can add cream cheese frosting, (which would be amazing), but I just sprinkled mine with a little cinnamon and sugar over the batter before baking them. They turned out EXACTLY as I hoped they would! And they were a snap to throw together. They're absolutely perfect for a Halloween party and they're good enough to add to your Thanksgiving dessert menu.
This one is definitely a keeper!


1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Using electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Add egg, pumpkin puree and mix until combined. In a small bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add into wet ingredients until just combined. Spread into baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

Tips:
The recipe directs to cool them before cutting, but I went further than that and let them completely chill in the fridge, I was able to remove the entire batch from the pan in one piece (using the parchment paper as a sling) and then I used a big knife to make perfect cuts for a perfect presentation!
This recipe is for an 8x8 pan, but I doubled it and baked it in a 9x13 pan. It worked perfectly!
If you'd like to add a little extra cinnamon, go for it! Like I always say, you can never have too much! Or you can just use a couple teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice blend, which is one of my favorite things, EVER. Also be sure to include the salt. It makes a world of difference!