To me, baking has always been fascinating in that it can give so many various textures by using same ingredients. Incredible what can be created with a sprinkle of flour, a pinch of cocoa, and a few pieces of dark chocolate.
I have always preferred fudge brownies ever since I first taught myself how to make them. Cakey brownies are nice, too, but if I can choose, I will always go for squidgy brownies, preferably with a dark chocolate glaze, and a cup of hot, freshly made espresso.
These little beauties are full of chocolate, roasted pumpkin, and gorgeous autumnal warm spices. Using pumpkin purée gives them a lot of moisture, and makes them even fudgier; and the spices wonderfully pair with dark chocolate. Bear in mind that the pumpkin flavour is very mild, and it will not overpower the chocolate. Feel free to add a bit more cinnamon, if you like it, it pairs very well with chocolate.
And even though there is a slight chill in the air, I have to admit I love placing them in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving, so they take on a gorgeous ice cream bar texture.
Ingredients
100 grams roasted pumpkin purée
1 large egg, at room temperature
50 grams granulated sugar
50 grams brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
60 grams unsalted butter
60 grams dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids)
35 grams plain flour
15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
small pinch of allspice
small pinch of salt
Preparation
Melt the butter and chocolate in a bain-marie or on the low setting in the microwave until smooth and combined, and set aside to cool down slightly. Place the egg into a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on high, for about a minute or so. Tip in the sugars, and continue beating for another few minutes, until the batter becomes much lighter in colour and a lot more voluminous. Add in the pumpkin purée, vanilla, and the melted chocolate, and blend on low speed until combined.
Sift together all of the dry ingredients, and add them into the batter. Using a small spatula, gently fold everything through. It might look dry in the beginning, but keep folding gently, and the batter will come together. Be careful not to overmix it, so the brownies bake fudgy and not dry. Line a small square baking tin (16x16 cm) with baking parchment, transfer the batter, and level it as much as possible. Bake it in a preheated oven, at 180C, for about 20 minutes or so. Because every oven is different, do check them for doneness with a toothpick, to make sure they do not overbake.
Author's note: If you wish to glaze them like I have, you can find the recipe and preparation here.
