Happy Halloween!

I made this for our work Halloween party to have some dessert that was a bit of a break from all of the chocolate and candy.  The cake has a great pumpkin/fall flavor, and the frosting is not at all overwhelmed by cream cheese or maple.  It really is the perfect fall balance.

I'm thinking I might try making this again for Thanksgiving breakfast, and taking out a bit of the sugar, while swapping out the frosting for a drizzled cinnamon sugar glaze.

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Cake:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (like Libby's)
2/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup toasted walnut pieces

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x9 pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  Set aside.
3. Beat the oil, brown sugar, and sugar in a bowl.  Add in the eggs and mix well. Add in the pumpkin puree and beat until well blended.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the oil and sugar mixture.  Add the toasted walnuts.
5. Pour into the baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a tester comes out completely clean.
6.  Allow cake to cool completely before icing.
7. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together.  Then beat in the maple syrup, followed by the confectioners sugar.  If the mixture does not seem to spread easily, add some additional maple syrup.  If it appears runny, add in additional confections sugar.
8. Ice the cake and add the toasted walnuts on top.

Happy Halloween!

The Most Delicious Brownies EVER

The title is about all that needs saying.  I'm probably going to eat another one as soon as I finish posting the recipe.

Midnight Brownies
1 cup unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/3  cups dark dutch cocoa (the dark makes a big difference, so make sure it's not regular dutch cocoa!)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp espresso powder
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 c dark chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9"x13" baking pan.
2. Melt butter over low heat.  While still over the heat, add the sugar and stir to combine.  Turn the burner to low and leave the mixture on.  Stir occasionally.  (If the mixture begins to bubble, remove from heat briefly.  Place back over the heat while you are finishing the third step.)
3. While the sugar and butter is still over the heat, combine the eggs, cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
4. Add the butter and sugar mixture into the egg mixture.  Stir well.
5. Allow the mixture to sit and cool for about 2 minutes.  Then stir in the flour chocolate chips.  This will allow the chips to slightly melt, but still maintain their form (it makes the chips melt in your mouth in the final product!)
6. Pour the batter into the baking pan.  Bake for 30 minutes, until sides have pulled away from pan.  If you test with a toothpick, it should come out with a few moist crumbs still on it (but not a ton)
7.  As they are gooey, allow for them to fully cool (maybe 2 hours?) until you cut them.  Wet the knife blade between cutting new rows/pieces.