I absolutely love pumpkin.... and that may be because I grew up raising pumpkins (pumpkin farm?), and I mean lots and lots of pumpkins (my parents sent me some pictures of this year's crop which I'll share towards the end). My ridiculous obsession love of squash also began here. Growing up, we actually used winter squash to replace pumpkin in many recipes. With all the pumpkins, you may be wondering why use squash? Simple, the majority of pumpkins you see for sale are primarily decorative pumpkins, great to paint and carve... but when it comes to eating, they're often bland and quite watery. Luscious squash on the other hand is slightly drier, meatier, and comes with a little more flavor. There are a few pumpkins great for pumpkin pie, however, look for "Cinderella" style pumpkins - squash texture with a hint of sweetness.
Ok, since I could probably talk about pumpkins for hours, I'll save you all those minutes of your life you could never get back. On to pumpkin blondies! 
Pumpkin Buttermilk Blondies
Makes 1 8x8 baking pan
3/4 c. pumpkin
1/4 c. apple sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 1/4 c. white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c. chopped walnuts
2/3 c. dark chocolate chips
Preheat over to 350F.
Sift together the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a bowl and set aside. In a separate large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, apple sauce, sugars, and buttermilk. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together (I use a wooden spoon to mix). Last but not least, add in the walnuts and chocolate chips - stir until combined.
Line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Spread batter in to the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes of until batter is set in the middle and a toothpick comes out fairly clean.
They are delicious warm and even keep well in the refrigerator (I'm a little weird and I sometimes like that cold chocolate taste). Definitely a recipes to share!
...Now, on to those pumpkin pictures I promised. I've been living in Albuquerque a little over a month now and this was exactly what I needed to remind me of home (so much that I can almost smell autumn in Minnesota). PS - Last year my mom sent me a mini care package with baby pumpkins and colorful leaves from home - I loved smelling that box.
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| I wish I could eat all of those squash... no worries, I'll come back after the holidays with a suitcase full. |
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| Beautiful fall colors. |
