PUMPKIN SWIRL BROWNIES

Pumpkin really has run its course here in our apartment this fall.  To date, I've made two pumpkin loaves, pumpkin hermits, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, and now pumpkin cheesecake brownies.  I promise we don't consume all of it ourselves! Most of it is shared or made for someone, but somehow I'm still not sick of pumpkin.  I have about a cup left in the fridge, so hopefully I can use the rest of it this week because we went apple picking today...and now I have 10 pounds of apples waiting to be used up.

Andrew took these to a friend's for dinner last night. Yesterday morning I was looking for a pumpkin recipe that would call for everything I had in my cupboard.  After some digging I found exactly the 4oz of chocolate these brownies called for and the decision was made - these would be coming out of the oven in 40 minutes. 

A fudgy brownie bottom with pumpkin cheesecake swirl all the way through makes these a decadent treat that you didn't even know you wanted. 

Here's the recipe, adapted from Crumb

Brownies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

4oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup brown sugar

dash of salt

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup flour

Pumpkin swirl:

4oz cream cheese, room temperature

3 tbsp sugar

1/2 can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Line your 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment or greased foil for easy removal. 

2.  With a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate until smooth and glossy.  Remove from heat and transfer to medium size mixing bowl - stir in sugar, vanilla and salt, then beat the eggs in one at a time.  Stir in the flour and mix.

3.  In a second bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Stir in the pumpkin, egg, vanilla and combine until smooth.  Stir in flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

4. Spread half the brownie batter across the bottom of your pan.  Drop alternating spoonfuls of pumpkin filling and remaining brownie batter.  Once you've put all the batter in the pan, run a knife through in a gentle motion to create the swirl. 

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are set.  Cool and eat!

With Thanksgiving coming up this weekend, I'm feeling really excited about all the things this season has to offer.  I came home with our apples and immediately made something that will show up on here later this week! 

In anticipation for the weekend I'm trying to decide what I will take to Andrew's family's Thanksgiving, and then what my contribution will be to my own families. The possibilities seem endless at this point.

Let me know if you give these a try and what you think!