Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

Some recipes speak for themselves, and this is one that doesn't need much convincing. Ok, maybe a picture helps:

I'm not going to write a long story about adapting a recipe to create this version or choosing the right ingredients, cause I think you should just start baking.

Here's what I'll tell you: my husband is not a huge dessert junkie, but each time I walked back into the kitchen last night after making these there was another section missing. He blamed it on my son. My son was asleep in bed; 'nuff said.

Recipe: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

(adapted from the cream cheese brownie recipe in Baking Illustrated by America's Test Kitchen)

Brownie base:

7 ounces baking chocolate, at least 50% cocoa (I used a mix of callebaut and bittersweet ghiradelli)

8 tablespoons butter, cut into one inch blocks

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

2/3 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling:

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup pureed pumpkin

3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Make brownies: preheat oven to 325; spray an 8 inch baking pan with nonstick spray, line with tin foil (2 pieces crisscross in the pan and folded over the edges), and spray tin foil with nonstick spray. Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in sugar and vanilla, stir well and heat for 1-2 more minutes until well-blended. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each one. Add dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda).

Make cream cheese filling: Microwave cream cheese for 20-30 seconds, until it is easily stirred with a spoon. Add pumpkin puree and sugar, mix well.

Assemble: put half of the brownie mixture in the pan, then spoon half of the pumpkin cream cheese mixture on top in large dollops; repeat with other half of the mixture. Swirl the batters together, first from left to right, then from top to bottom to create a marbled effect.

Bake 50 - 60 minutes, until edges slightly pull away from the foil. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then gently lift the foil to remove the brownies. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into them.