Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies

No Halloween party is complete without some pumpkin recipes! I actually had 2 in mind, but ran out of time. (The other was a savory dish- maybe I'll make it for dinner this week instead.) I already had chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, so I didn't want pumpkin bread. Pumpkin rolls are too much work. Pumpkin muffins just don't say party to me.

So I decided on a denser pumpkin brownie/ blondie. Now, I'm not a baker, so I can't just make these things up. Do you know how hard it was to find a dense pumpkin recipe? I searched all over. I finally found a keeper at Libby's- makers of yummy pumpkin puree. I enhanced it by adding chocolate chips- you can't go wrong with that! I did not use the icing- the reviews made it sound like they were sweet enough and with all the other desserts, I wanted something a little less sugary.

They were a big hit- the batch made about 40 blondies and I'm down to under 20 after 24 guests and a full table of treats! Hope the coworkers like them too...


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies
From Libby's

• 2 1/4 C. Flour
  
• 2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
  
• 2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
  
• 1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
  
• 3/4 C. (1 1/2 sticks) Butter, softened
  
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• 2 Large Eggs
  
• 1 C. Pumpkin Puree
  
• 2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
  
• 1/2+ C. Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 15"x10" jelly roll pan/ cookie sheet.
   
2. Beat sugar, butter and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl.
   
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and maple syrup.
   
4. Beat in flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well combined and moist. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
   
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
   
6. Remove from oven and let cool a little. Cut into bars and remove to a rack to cool.