Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies and a Giveaway [Closed]
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As a kid, I thought Halloween was an epically awesome holiday. I mean, how can you not love a day that revolves solely around candy? Especially for someone like me, who has an insatiable sweet tooth. I can remember many a Halloween-eve, putting the finishing touches on that year’s costume at my Grandparents’ house, before we would venture out for trick-or-treating. After we’d filled our candy bags to the brim, and our parents had tired of walking the streets in the bitter cold, we’d retreat to my Grandparents’ living room and sort our candy — piles of chocolate and non-chocolate first, and then specific types of each candy if there was enough of it. Bartering ensued before we dove in to actually eat it, and I always liked this part the most – apparently I was already starting to become a type A negotiator as a little tyke!
As I’ve grown up, I have admittedly grown out of the holiday. I never loved dressing up, so leaving that part behind was easy, but even my tastes for the sweet stuff have evolved. I still love candy, but if I’m going to eat it I generally prefer fancier chocolate bars made with bitter dark chocolate, or homemade confections made just to my liking. Now I just sound like a snob (promise I’m not… I love Reese’s and Kit Kats too!), but point is, the holiday has changed for me. This year, I made plans with a friend to come over and watch scary movies with me, and I wanted to make something fitting for the holiday, but without all the fanfare; something that could be served at any other seasonal fall gathering or winter holiday, meaning it couldn’t be laden with artificial candy corn pumpkins, or feature any other overtly Halloween-y components.
With an impending Eggland’s Best (EB) Holiday Dessert campaign also on my mind, it seemed the perfect time to create a holiday confection that would not only work as a Halloween treat, but could also grace your table at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any celebration in between.
These brownies are one of those recipes that are great the day you make them, but get even better as time goes on. I enjoyed them for days after Halloween, and they were so so SOOOO good. I rave a lot about desserts on this blog, but these are one of my favorite things to have come out of my kitchen in many months. I’ve always been a fan of traditional cheesecake brownies, but adding in pumpkin and spices really made these brownies feel festive and new. We each enjoyed two (woops!) brownies during our Halloween “celebration” – which included a viewing of the movie Mama, and copious amounts of talking. I bet you’d never have guessed from reading this blog that I really like to talk! Regardless, it was a really nice, more adult way to spend the holiday.
To say a bit about EB… the real reason these brownies came into being: I’ve been doing campaigns with EB for the past few years, and it’s definitely a company I feel good about working with. Their eggs are always much fresher than ordinary eggs, and for someone who not only bakes a ton, but also eats a lot of hardboiled eggs as pre-workout fuel, that’s pretty important to me. According to EB, their eggs have double the omega-3s and four times the vitamin D , as well as ten times the vitamin E that regular eggs have. They contain only 60 calories per egg (as compared to the typical 70 calories in an ordinary egg) and 25% less saturated fat. To learn more about the important nutrients found in EB eggs, visit their website.
As a part of this Holiday Dessert campaign, I’m hosting a GIVEAWAY courtesy of Eggland’s Best! One winner will receive a $25 Visa gift card and 2 coupons, each valid for a free carton of EB eggs. To enter, leave a comment about what holiday recipe you’d make with a carton of EB eggs! I’ll pick a winner next Friday, 11/21!
Happy Holiday Baking!!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (full fat, please!)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a one-inch overhang on each side, and coat parchment paper with butter or non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the cocoa power, instant coffee and boiling water until smooth. Add the chopped unsweetened chocolate and whisk until completely melted. Whisk in the melted butter and vegetable oil until combined.
- Add the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture, and continue to whisk until the batter is smooth. Add both sugars and continuing whisking until incorporated. Finally, add the flours and salt and mix just to combine, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the brownie batter into your prepared baking pan and set aside while you make the pumpkin cheesecake layer.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and pumpkin pie spice, and continue beating until the mixture is completely incorporated and smooth.
- Carefully spoon the pumpkin cheesecake batter over the brownie layer. With a knife or a spoon, make decorative swirls through both batters, incorporating them slightly, until you're satisfied with the appearance.
- Bake the brownies for 35-45 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is just barely set.
- Let the brownies cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then lift then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper as handles, and let cool on a wire rack completely before slicing. If desired, put these brownies into the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before slicing, so you can more easily cut them into neat squares.
Disclaimer: The Eggland’s Best information, coupons, and gift cards have been provided by Eggland’s Best. As usual, all opinions are my own.
