Pumpkin Infused Thickest-Ever Brownies

For the main event:

Chocolate + Fall

But first, I have a few questions, comments, concerns that I feel need to be addressed.

1) Chocolate and pumpkin smell amazing baking in the oven together. They taste just as great in batter licked from the end of a spatula. You might not want to actually make the brownies. But I suggest you do. And then share them. Your thighs will thank me. (Can you tell I had that inner dialogue with myself already?)

2) I dropped an entire container of toothpicks into my oven. That's right. Wooden toothpicks and a hot oven vs Meghan. Who will win? A few caught on fire. Thank god for tongs (not thongs... ok, maybe those too.. panty lines, ew). I came out on top.

3) I left my bike outside last night. It rained. This was after I got lost for 30 minutes while trying to ride my bike to Fed Ex to pick up a certified check that I ordered to pay a speeding ticket. Then, when I attempted to drive to work I noticed that my front left tire was flat. I certainly feel that I deserve another brownie. Or two.

4) Does anyone else secretly love gloomy days? Just a tip: it's fun if you refer to the weather as blustery and pretend you live in the 100-acre wood.

5) I don't think I've been drinking enough wine lately. Someone please bring me a glass! Something red.

6) I'm currently obsessed with winter squashes. Did you know that a pumpkin is a squash? Let me apologize now before this goes any further and morphs into something like my goat obsession.

7) I love this website.

8) Do you think these brownies are too big?

Good, because I don't

9) What amount of excitement about the opening of Federal Donuts next week is appropriate? At what point is it too much? I'm so excited, I'm so excited...


10) My recipe to-do list is getting really long. So much food. So little time. In order to get all of this done I might have to quit my job, stop cleaning my room, stop doing any cleaning at all, and stop doing laundry. Don't worry, I will, of course, continue to work out and see friends, because I gotta be healthy. Who wants to volunteer to do all these things for me? Hands?


11) Sure, I'll stop blabbing and just show you the recipe. Sheesh. Wait! One more note, it's about the recipe! These brownies involve making what I like to call, a "master batter." Then dividing that batter into 2 bowls and combining it with different ingredients. So, go on. Get your master batter on!

Soundtrack: Real Estate (Myspace Link)

Pumpkin Infused Brownies

Adapted from Pumpkin Swirl Brownies, by Martha Stewart

8 tbsp unsalted butter
6 oz bittersweet dark chocolate chips
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 c sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 c pumpkin puree
1/4 c canola oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the over to 350 and line a 8 inch square pan with parchment paper. Spray the lined pan with cooking spray.


In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt together the butter and chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, and salt with a whisk. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs and vanilla until the mixture is very pale yellow and has a sponge-like consistency, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.


Take about 2 cups of the batter and put it back in the medium sized bowl from the flour mixture. Set aside.


Do these next few steps quickly in order to keep the batter from thickening and setting. 


To the batter in the large bowl, add the pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine and set aside. To the batter in the medium bowl, add the chocolate mixture and stir until combined. (You will want to mix the pumpkin first as the chocolate has a tendency to set faster.)


Pour half of chocolate batter into the pan. Then, pour half of the pumpkin batter. Then, the rest of the chocolate. Then, the rest of the pumpkin. Using a knife, gently swirl the batters together to create a marbled effect. This involves some smooth up and down scooping motions. Don't over swirl or you will just mix everything up.


Top with walnuts and bake for 60 minutes. (Yea, I know. LONG. Alternately, you could bake in a 9 in square pan for 40 minutes, but I like the huge layers.)

Ahh, I really love opening a new bag of flour.

Cayenne! Bam!

Recipe calls for 4 eggs, I had 4 eggs. These brownies were fate!

Yea, a whole tablespoon

Marble

Battle of the dueling batters!

Brown maze

Ginger Spiced Brownies

Ok, after that last one I know I owe you guys something real. Because I'm just that loyal. 

Real brownies!

And because after traipsing around the mall and beyond with my mother yesterday I really needed a brownie. (read: after trying on clothes for a few hours and swearing to myself up and down that I'm going to start behaving myself, working out and eating well, I needed a brownie.) I'm sorta self motivated, too. Sue me.


But first, let's talk about how I watched The Departed last night. For the first time ever. It rules! If you haven't seen it, go watch it. Now. Yea, that's my in depth analysis of the movie. Hey, this is a FOOD BLOG after all!


You might not know this about me, but I'm totally the person in every conversation who has never seen the movie that everyone else is talking about. Trust me, if you're not this same type of person, you would definitely be balking at the list of acclaimed movies that I have never seen. I've been recently making an Adam-motivated effort to correct this, by apathetically viewing every movie he deems necessary. This may mean I'm watching an overwhelming amount of testosterone-approved cinema, but I guess I'm cool with that.


And hey, at least I've seen every Star Wars movie a few times over, or I have a feeling we just wouldn't be able to continue such an ill-founded relationship any longer.

PS. best picture ever? Yes.

Ok maybe this tops the Audrey/Ewok picture.

And one more thing before we get down the meat (or sugar and butter) of this post.


I'd like to take a moment to reflect upon the loss of life ten years ago today on 9/11/2001. Our generation will never forget the tragedy and the overwhelming sadness of the people of our nation. The memorial is breathtaking; the scene is unnerving. CNN.com offers some brilliant and emotionally charged photos: here. As we carry on with our lives, we will always remember the innocent victims and those who gave up their lives as heroes.


Now then, these brownies are the real deal. They're chocolate. They're buttery. They're sugary. And unlike this experiment, they aren't a natural laxative. They're a cake-like brownie, infused with the tang of ginger and cinnamon. Just the right chocolate-y snack to get you in the mood for autumn. Ahh, autumn. 


One note though: I ground my cinnamon fresh. I did this because the only cinnamon I had in my pantry was from Stop 'N Shop, which means I bought it in Poughkeepsie, NY and I haven't lived there in about 6 years. Now I'm no expert and I don't know exactly how long cinnamon can be used for, but that scared me. So I threw it out and ground a stick. I mention this only because if you are using already ground cinnamon you might need a little more, since I'm assuming fresh ground is more potent. (I also just want to expose my spice disorganization to the world.)


Soundtrack: New album from The Rapture: In the Grace of Your Love. And! Check out the review over at DPC: here.
  The Rapture - In The Grace of Your Love by modularpeople


Ginger Spiced Brownies
Adapted from Joy of Cooking


1/2 c (1 stick) butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 c AP flour
1/2 tsp baking powder4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tbsp fresh ground ginger
1/2 tsp fresh ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350.


In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring until thoroughly combined. Set aside to cool. (I stick it in the fridge to bring it back to room temp. It's important that you allow this mixture to cool, though.)


In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and cinnamon, until thoroughly combined. Set aside.


In a large bowl, beat eggs and salt on high with an electric mixer until the eggs are light in color and have a foamy texture. Gradually beat in sugar and vanilla. Continue beating the mixture until it is thick. Beat in the ground ginger.


Switch to a spatula and stir in the COOLED chocolate and butter mixture in as few strokes as possible. Add the flour mixture and stir, using as few strokes as possible to combine.


Pour batter into a greased 9x11 pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut once cooled and sprinkle with a light dusting of cinnamon.

Dis how we do!

Leave some for licking of course!

Storage

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

Holy procrastination, batman!

Hey guys! I'm supposed to be packing because I am leaving for a long weekend in Denver tomorrow!!! So now let me ask you, what better time to blog? Exactly. I had these pictures of some delectable brownies I made over the weekend, so let me share. (PS I totally typed shart first, and I had to share/shart that with you.) 

Well, these were delicious. Only good can come of something that begins with melting a 4 oz chocolate bar and an entire stick of butter in a sauce pan. Only good. Chewy and very fudgey. Rich and very soft. The hazelnuts add a great crunch that is full of flavor and compliments the chocolate well. Almost candy-like. Yum! And the best part? Minimal dishes. (Who doesn't hate dishes?) Well, maybe not the best part. I guess the best part should really be the brownies...

Soundtrack: La Roux - La Roux

1/2 c. butter (yea, a whole stick)
4 oz. dark bittersweet chocolate (I like this one!)

4 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt 
2 c. sugar (yea, 2 cups)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 c. chopped hazelnuts

Heat oven to 350.

Melt butter and chocolate together in a medium sauce pot. This will need to cool completely before incorporating it into the other ingredients (I don't know what happens if you don't; I've never tested it!) I stuck it in the freezer for a few minutes. Just don't let it harden.

Using an electric mixer (or a sweet hand-blender whisk attachment!) beat/whip the eggs and salt together until foamy. Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating to combine. Beat/whip (yea, you're getting a little abusive at this point) the mixture until it is thick.

Stir (by hand, using a spatula) in the cooled chocolate/butter mixture until combined (use as few strokes as possible!). Stir in flour gently, then stir in nuts.

Line a 9x13 in. pan with tin foil and grease. Pour mixture in. Bake for 25-35 min (check center with a toothpick, make sure it comes out clean!)

Sign of good things to come!

Ahhh, we meellltteedd!

Beat it!

This is what your mixture should look like
riiiight before adding the chocolate!

Final product, once again