Fudgy Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

So, I did this.... and they are awesome... and fudgyeeee. And now I'm here at home at 1.30pm... with a platter of these brownies in front me and a hole in my tummy that just can't be filled because I did a 7k run and too many push ups this morning. Alone... for hours before the kids get home from school. Some body better come over and save me from myself.



Fudgy Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
Makes 16

230g pumpkin puree
100g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
150g caster sugar
150g packet mini peanut butter cups, reserve 8 for topping

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Spray a 20cm x 20cm cake pan with cooking oil spray and line it with baking paper. Cut the paper long enough for it to hang over the edges of the pan on two sides. This will make removal easier.

Place the flour, cocoa powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk briefly with a hand-held whisk to combine and get rid of any lumps. Add the pumpkin puree and stir gently with a spatula until incorporated. Set 8 mini peanut butter cup aside (they are for topping the brownies), and chop the rest into quarters. (I ended up with about 10, after having eaten a few couple... for quality control!) Add these to the brownie batter and stir.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter to the edges and smoothing the top. Cut the remaining 8 mini peanut butter cups in half and arrange the halves, cut-side down, on top of the batter so that when you eventually cut the brownies, each brownie will have a mini peanut butter cup half in the centre of it. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool completely in the pan before removing (using the overhanging paper to help lift the brownie slab out of the tin), and cutting into squares.