pumpkin season

i think i’m a pretty strict person.

well i would like to think i’m a pretty strict person. but the more i think about it. i’m not.

i mean, i am actually like the biggest pushover. in all facets of my life. one minute i’m all, no, i brought a salad for lunch. next minute i’m downstairs picking up my dominos pizza and eating that instead. same thing happens every pumpkin season. yeah, you didn’t know pumpkin was a season? it is. get with the times! 

so typical, this year, i saw a pumpkin spice latte and turned my head to it and stuck with the caramel macchiato. i said, courtney, it’s way too early for a pumpkin spice latte. because once you open the pumpkin flood gates you’re not safe until around april or may when all things coconut and lime start popping up. (i’m looking at you pina coladas and margaritas!)  so i waited a whole day to go back to starbucks and open the flood gates.

that was a month ago.

can you even imagine the amount of pumpkin i’ve eaten since then?

you don’t want to know.

you know i’m going to tell you anyway! let’s see, that was a month ago, subtract a couple days i went to events and they provided coffee, plus a couple days i skipped coffee altogether, i’ve probably had around 20! i’ve already made a pumpkin loaf and then so help me jesus, i found this recipe for pumpkin blondes with browned butter buttercream. ohmygosh. i love blondies, i love pumpkin, i love browned butter. this recipe could be like the hoover damn of flood gates!

so it’s started. i told myself i would wait, but it’s not even the middle of october and i’ve already been swimming in pumpkin everything!

they are the perfect fall bar! so pumpkiney, kind of heavy but moist at the same time, they taste just like thanksgiving. everyone is going to love these. i hope you are nothing like me and can show some kind of restraint and wait to open the flood gates. when you’re ready to do that, these bars have your name written all over it!

pumpkin blondies (from cookies & cups)

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 light brown sugar

2 tbsp vanilla

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

3 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

brown butter buttercream

1/2 cup butter

4-5 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray 8×8 pan with non-stick flour spray.

in a small saucepan melt butter over medium high heat, stirring continuously. once butter turns light golden brown remove from heat.

in mixing bowl combine sugars. mix in browned butter. add pumpkin and vanilla and mix on low. add in remaining ingredients and mix until just combined, no longer than 1 min.

pour into greased pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. it is finished with toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.

set aside to cool completely before frosting.

to prepare frosting

in small saucepan melt butter on medium-high heat, stirring continuously. once butter turns light golden brown remove from heat.

in mixing bowl combine milk, vanilla, sugar, and browned butter. mix on low for 30 secs, then increase to high for 2-4 minutes.

spread on top of cooled blondies. 

fall pumpkin really is my favorite season!