The Saga of the 37 Pumpkins- Installment No. 13- Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

For the past half hour, Patch had slid as fast as he could, and at last, he brought himself back to the center of the patchmate community. He was too exhausted to speak. If his lenticels had been fully developed, there would be sweat pouring from them.

The other pumpkins were quiet, too, but not out of exhaustion. They apparently didn't care that their fellow pumpkin had been to the other side and returned without a scratch.

No matter. Cucurbita would care. Patch pushed through the crowd, looking for his elderly companion.

Rumor has it that Cucurbita ordered an album of glamour shots.

A man touched his rind. "Don't look for her. You won't find her."

Patch whirled around and glared at the man. "What do you mean?"

"Cucurbita is dead."

A woman shoved her way over to the pair.

"Dead as a smushed garden snail."

"And it's a good thing!" shouted another woman. 

Then there were 23...

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Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 6 oz bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups pureed pumpkin
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 9" square baking pan.

Melt chocolate and 8 tbsp. butter in a double boiler, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth.

Whisk together dry ingredients through salt in a large bowl.

Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla into a the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until fluffy and well combined. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Gradually incorporate the flour mixture.

Divide the batter into two medium bowls. Each bowl should contain about 2 cups of batter. Stir the chocolate mixture into one bowl. In the other bowl, incorporate the pumpkin, 1/4 cup butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Transfer half of the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Top chocolate layer with half of the pumpkin batter. Now repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly, so that the batters don't set!

Use a knife to gently swirl the batters to create a marbled effect.

Now bake until set, for about 40-45 minutes.

Enjoy!