Thursday, December 22, 2011

Pumpkin Blondies

First things first, let me say thank you for entering my giveaway, you all make me smile every day.  Random.org chose the winner, Brandi!  Tomato jam and an appearance on the Dr. Oz show??  I don't know what more a girl could ask for ;)

I hope you haven't had too many cookies.  Because I've got two more for you, one a bit more decadent and another a healthy snack.  In the indulgent corner we've got a pumpkin blondie.  I did my best to retain a traditional blondie texture, but pumpkin is tough...  I did manage to retain the slightly crackly top!  The centers of the pan were a bit thinner (more gooey) than the outer edge (a bit cakier), but both parts were delicious in their own right ;)


Pumpkin Blondies

Pumpkin Blondies
adapted from Martha Stewart
Yield:  ~3 dozen

If you don't have an 11x15" pan, I'd suggest halving the recipe and baking it in a 9"square pan for the best results.

2c white whole wheat flour
1t baking soda
3/4t sea salt
1t cinnamon
1/8t freshly grated nutmeg
3/4t ground ginger
dash cloves
dash allspice
2 sticks butter, RT
1 1/4c dark brown sugar (not packed)
1 egg
1t vanilla extract
1c pumpkin butter (I used TJ's)
1c mini cinnamon chips
1/2c chopped toasted, skinned hazelnuts (pecans or walnuts would also be great)

Preheat oven to 350deg.  Spray an 11x15" pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, add flour, baking soda, salt and spices (cinnamon thru allspice).  Stir to combine, then add cinnamon chips and chopped nuts and toss to coat.  Set aside.

Cream together butter and brown sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined.  Add pumpkin butter and mix well.  Fold in dry ingredients or mix on low speed.

Pour batter into pan, then spread evenly with a spatula.  Bake for 30-40min, until the center is no longer jiggly and a toothpick comes clean.  Cool completely on a rack before cutting into your desired size blondies!


pumpkin blondies (left), pumpkin oaties (right)



In the healthy corner, we have Pumpkin Oaties, which probably fall closer to snack than cookie due to the absence of added sugar.  Don't let this deter you, they're quite tasty and a nice guilt-free treat ;)



Pumpkin Oaties w/Rosemary Pecans & Cranberries
adapted from Enlightened Cooking
Yield ~2 dozen

I used a Trader Joe's mix of Rosemary Pecans and Cranberries in these cookies, but if you don't have access to a trader joe's, I'd use a mix of dried cranberries, salted pecans, and 1t fresh chopped rosemary.

1/2c mashed very ripe banana
1c pumpkin puree
1/3c mild-flavored oil (I used a mix of extra virgin olive oil and canola)
2t vanilla extract
1 1/4t cinnamon
1/4t fine sea salt (increase if using unsalted nuts)
1/2t baking soda
2c oats
1-2c Rosemary Pecans and Cranberries (see headnote)

Preheat oven to 350deg.

Mix banana, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Let sit for 15min, then add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Scoop out ~1T cookie mix and place on a cookie sheet.  Flatten a bit with your fingers or a fork and repeat with remaining mixture.  You don't have to leave too much room in between cookies, they won't spread.

Bake for ~10-12min, then let cool on the sheet.  Store in an airtight container.


I'm submitting the Pumpkin Oaties to Ricki's Wellness Weekend!


Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and all that jazz :)  Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season!!

13 comments:

Delicious Dishings said...

I'm just starting my holiday baking tonight so I am definitely not sick of cookies. Love these ideas. Congrats to Brandi!

Lisa (bakebikeblog) said...

How delicious!!
and wishing you a very merry Xmas!

Elizabeth said...

YAYYYY the blondies! I loved these SO much. I think they were excellent but if you do decide to experiment further you know where to find a taste-tester :)

Erica said...

I can never get enough pumpkin! I make a vegan version of the blondies from lil veggie patch! I must try the oaties! Happy holidays!

brandi said...

yay - best week ever!!!

i cannot WAIT to try your jam. probably on a big grilled cheese sandwich :)

Joanne said...

I was totally enamored with BOTH of these....and so really the manner in which I would eat the oaties (just popping em one after another)...would make them indulgent.

Fun and Fearless in Beantown said...

I love these pumpkin treats!

Megan @ Cooking Whims said...

I've had a lot of cookies lately, but I think I can fit these pumpkin blondies into my stomach... ;)

Kristen said...

Happy Holidays, Shannon!!

Amy said...

I love anything with pumpkin! These looks like delicious holiday treats!

Ricki said...

They both look great, but the oaties are calling to me! Thanks so much for submitting to WW this week. And have a very Happy Holidays!! :D

Cara said...

I truly thought both were delish :)

Kerstin said...

One of my tricks with pumpkin is to heat it on the stove for 10 minutes or so - you concentrate the flavor and the water evaporates out so it's easier to work with!

They were both so tasty :)

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