Pumpkin Pie Fudge Brownie Bars.

November 21, 2011 · 153 comments

Last week I met a brownie.

And not the 7-year old, patched up vest-wearing kind.

This kind. The kind with PIE baked on top. And baked in a pan.

After that pumpkin binge last month, I practically swore off the stuff for good.

But I’m a weird creature of holiday habit… celebrating each holiday just up until that holiday – no more – then excitedly moving on to the next, and I love relishing in Thanksgiving because while all holidays are pretty much about food… this holiday is seriously serious about food. Comfort food.

Just my thang!

So I had to throw one more pumpkin recipe in your face before I start baking copious amounts of cookies and eating enough to make the treadmill cry. Well… that’s sort of a lie, because I have one more (that’s it, I swear. stop giving me the stink eye!) pumpkin recipe on tap that I made weeks ago but didn’t deem photo-worthy enough to share. We’re going to make that a Facebook exclusive recipe later this week! Ooooh the excitement.

On the outside, I’m totally holding it together for Thanksgiving and focusing on celebrating the feast full force with boatloads of pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing and pie.

Which is weird, because I could really care less about pie. Except on Thanksgiving… color me crazy.

But inside, I’m getting in the Christmas spirit like no other, playing the Barry Manilow holiday album on repeat more times than Brenda played Losing My Religion after Dylan dumped her.

Shhh. Don’t tell.

Nearly 365 days ago, I made some bourbon pecan pie brownies. Oh my… they were GOOD. That doesn’t even explain their deliciousness but I’ll spare you the typical dramatizations since it’s Monday.

Wait. Except for one: this chocolate layer is the fudgiest, richest little pillow of cocoa you will ever sink your teeth into.

K done. I can’t help myself.

See… I like pumpkin… but it is hard for me to classify something as dessert without some sort of hot chocolate mess going on. I’ll have a bite of pumpkin pie come Thanksgiving (you know… like, uh the final bite of food that makes it necessary to unbutton the top of your jeans?) but I really just want chocolate. And I really just like my whipped cream with a little bit of pumpkin pie. I mean, really… I JUST WANT CHOCOLATE.

I’m a supercalifragilistic chocoholic of the worst kind. And if it means anything, I think I’m making peanut butter pie on Thursday because it’s all I can think about, and once I get something in my head, I become the most annoying person ever.

Shocking, I know.

But I had to tell you, because I love you. Now if you know what’s good for you, you’ll make these brownies.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge Brownie Bars

(brownies adapted from bourbon pecan brownies, pumpkin adapted from simply recipes)

makes one 9×13 pan

brownie layer

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups sugar

10 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a small bowl, beat eggs and vanilla and set aside. In a double boiler, add butter, cocoa, sugar and salt. Mix until the mixture becomes a batter – this will take approximately 10 minutes and at first will just look like clumps of cocoa power. Be patient! Remove the bowl from heat and whisk in the egg mixture (very slowly while whisking, so you don’t have scrambled eggs!) until combined. Stir in flour until batter is smooth, then pour in baking dish. Use a 9×13 dish for thin bars, and an 8×8 for thicker bars. For 9×13 dish, bake for 12-13 minutes. For an 8×8 dish, bake for about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely! Then make pumpkin layer.

pumpkin layer

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 large egg

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a bowl, whisk together sugars and egg until smooth. Add in pumpkin and spice, again mixing until combine. Finish by adding in heavy cream, stirring until everything is mixed, then pour on top of the cooled brownie layer and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes (9×13 dish) or 15 minutes (8×8 dish), then reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 18-20 minutes (9×13 dish)/22-25 minutes (8x8dish) or until pumpkin layer is set. Let cool completely (ideally overnight, or about 3-4 hours) then slice and serve.