Pumpkin Blondies and the SRC

So the joy of being in the Secret Recipe Club is twofold... You get to have someone that might not have visited your blog come and check it out, make something fun and hopefully love your recipes! The second is that you get to find new blogs that you might not have discovered without the SRC! This is what has happened with me and Cook, Lisa, Cook. Since SRC has started I discovered her blog and have been checking it out on a regular basis! And now I get the joy of blogging about her for this month's Secret Recipe Club! She has some great recipes that I am always eager to try out - both savory and sweet... In fact I was really torn between her zucchini chocolate chunk walnut bread and the pumpkin blondies that I eventually chose. I won't even mention that I was also debating making the rolo brownie bites with caramel cream cheese frosting and the caramel stuffed apple cider cookies too! :) Don't worry, these are all on my to make list... As well as her spice rubbed turkey with cognac gravy that will be gracing my Thanksgiving table this year!

I finally ended up with the pumpkin blondies - only because I seem to be in a pumpkin crazed state right now!! I love pumpkin and fall just brings it out even more... My husband is in pumpkin overload right now, so it might have to slow down a bit or he might freak out! :) I didn't add the nuts, so I just threw in the whole 12 ounces of chocolate, even though she suggested halving it... Man, chocolate and pumpkin are quite the pair, let me tell you!! These were good straight out of the oven (who waits for the whole pan to cool?) and even better when they were cooled like I was supposed to do! :) Try them, you will love them (if you like pumpkin half as much as I do!) And stop by and see Lisa and her beautiful daughter/helper Maisie, the sooner the better!



Pumpkin Blondies
(recipe found at http://www.cooklisacook.blogspot.com/)

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted
1 (12 ounces) bag semi sweet chocolate bits (she suggested only using half)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13" baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray. (I skipped the parchment paper and didn't have any problems.) In a large bowl cream together butter and brown sugar. Add pumpkin pie spice and salt and blend. Add eggs and pumpkin puree, blend until smooth. Mix in the flour until fully incorporated. Stir in pecan halves and chocolate bits. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the center is set. (Mine ended up cooking for about 30 minutes...) Cool completely before cutting into squares.