Dark Chocolate Brownies Topped with Pumpkin Mascarpone
I’m kind of glad Starbucks has a new controversy (for the record, red is my favorite color and I think simple is classy). Honestly, I’ve never had their pumpkin spiced latte (version 1.0 or 2.0). I’m generally on board with pumpkin flavored foods, although I do tend to think pumpkin should be an ingredient in said foods. Take these brownies, for instance. Pumpkin is swirled with mascarpone cheese to make a creamy layer reminiscent of pumpkin pie, baked between fudgey homemade brownies (the only worthwhile kind of brownies – if you’ve graduated from an Easy Bake, you shouldn’t be using a box mix) and crumbled ginger snaps. The result is glorious.
I made these for a recent meeting of our home brew club, originally thinking they contained beer. While they are actually sans-alcohol, they sure pair nicely with a Schlafly Pumpkin. And an Abita Pecan Stout. And a Bruery Autumn Maple. And a Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale.
You get what I’m saying…
Dark Chocolate Brownies Topped with Pumpkin Mascarpone
Adapted from From Cooking with Beer
Ingredients:
For the Pumpkin Mixture:
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the Brownies:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 cups butter, cut into cubes
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7 ounces ginger snaps, store-bought and chopped
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a greased 9x13in baking dish with parchment paper.
- Start by making your brownies: whisk together the 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the chocolate and butter. Melt over low heat until completely melted, stirring occasionally. Pour the chocolate into the bowl of your stand mixer, with whisk attachment fixed. Add 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar and beat until completely incorporated. Add the 4 eggs, one at a time, making sure that each egg is completely incorporated before adding another one. Once the eggs have been beaten in, add the milk and vanilla extract and beat to combine once again. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture in 1/2 cup increments and beat until combined. Pour the brownie mix into your prepared dish and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
- For the pumpkin mixture: in the (cleaned) bowl of your stand mixer – with paddle attachment fixed – combine the mascarpone cheese and butter. Mix to combine thoroughly. Add the sugar and again mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Mix again to combine. Gently fold in the 2 tablespoons of flour with a rubber spatula.
- Place dollops of the pumpkin mixture on top of the brownies until you have used all of it. Using a butter knife, swirl the brownie mix and pumpkin together to get a swirled-like effect. Top the brownies with the chopped ginger snaps cookies.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes, or until cooked through. Once completely cool cut the brownies into squares.
Makes ~24 brownies
