Healthful Pumpkin Brownies (clear the cupboards style)

Pumpkin Time!

I moved this week, so last week I wanted to have one more crack at baking in order to get rid of a random 1.5 cups worth of garbanzo flour, tiny bit of oil, half can of cocoa powder, a packet of gelatin, and a lonely can of pureed organic pumpkin I had kickin' it in the kitchen.

So I jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon and tried out this recipe of my own invention to use up these baking odds and ends.  So be flexible with this recipe.  No need to go out and buy No Sugar Added Nesquik syrup—I just didn’t want to end up throwing away an entirely full bottle of it before I moved.  (My mom bought it…I really don’t know why…but at least a squirt of it finally got used!)

Maple syrup could nicely replace the honey.  Cornstarch or tapioca could also probably substitute for the gelatin powder.

This recipe is good because it uses a WHOLE can of pumpkin.  I had a can in my cupboard, and every recipe I saw online only uses like half a cup of pumpkin puree…and I wasn’t going to be able to use any remainder before I moved, so I slopped in the entire can.

Made in one 9x9 square baking dish.

Brownie Base

1 c pumpkin

1/3 c honey

2 t vanilla

¼ c melted coconut oil or other oil

1.5 c garbanzo or other flour

½ c cocoa

½ t sea salt

1 t baking soda

1/3 packet gelatin

½ c mini chocolate chips (optional)

Generous squirt of chocolate syrup (optional)

*Taste the batter!  There’s no eggs or anything, so you’re safe.  I prefer my sweets not that sweet.  But if you think yours needs a little more sweetness, by all means, add some more honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.  Personally, I find that people don’t miss when you knock a half cup of sugar or MORE from a standard dessert recipe!

*You could use this brownie base for really any swirled brownie.  Instead of a little pumpkin layer on top, you could top the brownie batter with sweetened cream cheese, caramel, and so forth.  The pumpkin in the brownie mix is not so overpowering as to demand a matching pumpkin topping.

Pumpkin Top Layer

1c pumpkin

2/3 packet gelatin

1 t vanilla

¼ c honey

1/3 c plain or vanilla kefir

2 t cinnamon, 1t ground ginger, dash or cloves and nutmeg

Directions:

·      Grease 9x9 dish, preheat oven to 350

·      Start with Brownie layer: blend wet ingredients together

·      Sift in dry brownie ingredients and combine

·      Pour into pan and smooth the surface

·      Combine all ingredients for the Pumpkin layer until smooth

·      Spoon Pumpkin layer over top of brownie layer

·      Swirl it around a bit, if you want

·      Bake at 350 until toothpick comes out clean of Brownie—the Pumpkin part will still be moist, even when it is done

·      Allow to cool

·      Cut into squares and refrigerate for at least an hour