From the Kitchen: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

Last week, I had a serious craving for the familiar flavor of my favorite gourd-like squash, the one that pairs so well with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice this time of year. I’m speaking of pumpkin, of course. This craving struck somewhere in the eleven PM hour so I really had to act fast. For these types of sweet tooth emergencies, I like to keep a couple of boxed or ready to bake goodies around the house just in case. I’m a sucker for the new items on the shelves at Trader Joe’s. I see unfamiliar packaging and I naturally gravitate towards it to see what’s new. I found Trader Joe’s Ready to Bake Brownie Mix in a cute little bag and just had to try it. Luckily, I had also been curious about Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter so I had that on hand as well and I ALWAYS have my fridge stocked with butter and cream cheese for any time frosting can be of service, which in my world is quite often.

This technique can be made with any brownie mix (the ones made from scratch too).

Quick and Painless Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

What you’ll need:

Brownie batter (mixed and poured into a buttered baking pan, line it with parchment paper to avoid any sticking)

1/2 cup of light cream cheese (you can use regular as well but I prefer light)

3 tablespoons Pumpkin Butter (or pumpkin pie filling)

Directions:

In a medium bowl whip cream cheese and pumpkin until consistent in color and smooth. With a spoon, create lines with the cream cheese mix over the brownie mix lengthwise in the pan. You’ll want 3-4 lines of pumpkin cream cheese. If you want to get really fancy, put your cream cheese mixture into a piping bag for more delicate streaks. Drag a toothpick over the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl effect. Follow baking instruction on your brownie mix or recipe. Voila! In 30-40 minutes you’ll have yourself a revamped brownie that perfectly embodies the season.