Skillet Pumpkin Fudge Brownies

Skillet Pumpkin Fudge Brownies on The Creekside CookThis recipe solves a pesky little kitchen problem that I will bet anything you have run across.

It goes like this: You find a great recipe for some pumpkin muffins, or maybe pumpkin doughnuts. You open a typical grocery store can of pumpkin puree, measure out the one cup needed for the recipe – and don’t they all just need that ONE cup – and then thriftily scrape out all of the remaining pumpkin into a refrigerator dish and pop in in the fridge. “I’ll make some thing out of that later in the week.” you say to yourself as you slather butter on a fresh muffin.

Scroll ahead in your life, when you’re trying to fit all the Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge, and you come across a … hairy little creature of some kind waaaay in the back of the middle shelf. Ew! It’s the 3/4 of a cup of pumpkin left from when you made muffins. You, shudder, toss it and feel bad that you wasted perfectly good food.

Well, my friends, I am here to help you never again have this happen, because this recipe for Skillet Pumpkin Fudge Brownies calls for exactly 3/4 of a cup of canned pumpkin puree – the amount left over after you have used a cup of it in something else. You can have your muffins or doughnuts, and then NOT waste the remainder of the can – plus you get some rich, fudgy brownies!

I made these in my 8 inch cast iron skillet, because after 30 years it has a perfect non-stick surface, and things bake up nice and moist in it – you can use an 8 x 8 pan though, if you don’t have a skillet.

Skillet Pumpkin Fudge Brownies
An 8 x 8 inch baking dish, or an 8 inch heavy stainless steel skillet can stand in for the cast iron skillet if you prefer.
Author:
Recipe type: Bar Cookies, Brownies
Serves: 8 to 10 brownies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter
  • ⅓ cup dutch process baking cocoa powder
  • ½ ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ cup of pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅓ cup each toasted chopped walnuts and dark chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350º and generously butter an 8 inch cast iron skillet, or an 8 x 8 baking dish.
  2. Place the cast iron skillet in the oven [but not the baking dish, if that is what you use]
  3. Melt the butter, and in a medium mixing bowl immediately stir in the baking cocoa powder and cinnamon. i do all of the mixing in this recipe with a wooden spoon - no need to break out the mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes to hydrate the cocoa and cinnamon and to cool the mixture slightly.
  4. Mix in the brown sugar, and then the egg, and then the pumpkin, making sure each addition is completely mixed in before going on to the next.
  5. Measure in the flour, then sprinkle the salt and baking powder over it, then mix everything until well combined.
  6. Remove the skillet from the oven - be careful as it will be pretty hot - spread the batter evenly in the pan or dish, and then sprinkle the nuts and chocolate chips on top.
  7. Bake for about 20 minutes in the skillet, 25 in a baking dish. A toothpick inserted near the center should only have a few moist crumbs on it, but no liquid batter at all.
  8. Cool for about 30 minutes before cutting - these are really good warm with vanilla ice cream, or just eaten out of hand. Store in a tightly closed container for up to 4 days at room temperature - in the fridge if any longer than that.

 
These are quite divine, if I say so myself – moist and fudgy, with just a hint of cinnamon. And you can feel all virtuous because you haven’t wasted anything – it’s a win – win!Plate of Skillet Pumpkin Fudge Brownies on The Creekside Cook

24 thoughts on “Skillet Pumpkin Fudge Brownies

  1. Pingback: How to Cook a Fresh Pumpkin - The Creekside Cook

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