Pumpkin Blondies

You should know by now that I love to make pumpkin desserts . . . I usually start in September or October and it doesn't stop until well after Christmas.  I keep a stockpile of pumpkin puree and recently, bought pumpkin pie spice after all these years of mixing up my own (fresh spices are key to good flavor!).  Now blondies are a recent thing for me - I only started baking them the past two or three years.  I had always associated them with butterscotch (a flavor I'm not super fond of) but this is the third version that I've made and really liked . . . maybe it's because I've only made coffee-ish or pumpkin variations!  Check out the Mocha Blondies and the Irish Coffee Blondies here on the blog.

Pumpkin Blondies (Makes 2 dozen)
from My Baking Addiction

2 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 T pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (15oz) can pure pumpkin puree
1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Mix in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the pumpkin (it might look curdled but it's ok).  Reduce speed to low and stir in the flour mixture until just combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a tester comes out with some moist crumbs.  Cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.