Just In Time

If for some reason, you're in need of a perfectly portable Thanksgiving dessert, look no further than Piece of Cake's Pumpkin Swirled White Chocolate Brownies. If I could find canned pumpkin in this country for less than 10 euro, I would most definitely be making these!

Pumpkin-Swirled White Chocolate Brownies

Makes 12

Use either chocolate chips or chopped bar chocolate here, I won’t judge. My favorite brand of canned pumpkin is Libby’s; it has the most fabulous, vibrant color of any storebought puree I’ve found.

These bars are the ultimate make-ahead dessert–they are infinitely better the day after they’re baked.

For the pumpkin swirl:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt

For the white chocolate brownie batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces white chocolate, chips or chopped bar chocolate
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line it with an 8-inch wide strip or foil or parchment, and lightly spray for extra nonstick insurance.

To make the swirl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, brown sugar, flour, vanilla, spices and salt until smooth. Set aside.

For the batter, sift together the flour and salt into a small bowl. In a large heatproof bowl, combine the white chocolate and the butter. Melt together in the microwave with 30-second bursts of high power, stirring well after each interval. Whisk the in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until no dry pockets remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Dollop the pumpkin mixture over the batter in five or six equal portions. Use a knife to swirl the pumpkin into the batter with figure-8 motions. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly dry, with a couple moist crumbs, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting and serving (and if you can wait a day to serve them, you will be rewarded with amazing flavor and texture).

* image and recipe via Piece of Cake