pumpkin spice blondies

for Thanksgiving or any other time of year

I spent hours upon hours wandering the rows and alleys of Seattle’s Pike Place Market as a child and then as a teenager. There are the obvious highlights - perusing the packed shelves of DeLaurenti or eating fresh fish chowder at one of the wholesale fish stalls. There are some fun little knick knack shops in the lower floors and hidden shops behind the main stalls which make you feel like an insider discovering secret gems. My brother loved the map shop on the First avenue side of the market. The best smells are at the North end of the market, coming from Piroshky Piroshky; I’ve rarely had the patience to wait in line there, but the smell is worth a wander by. In short, you won’t have any problem finding something to eat, and I’m not claiming to know enough about the market to give a tour (esepically as my inventory of its delights is undoubtedly at least 15 years out of date). But for what it’s worth, in all my years frequenting the market, my all-time favourite spot is Cinnamon Works. 

A funky bakery at the corner of Pike Place and Pine, it may look like a seedy hippy bakery that belongs in the 80s, but it’s well worth a closer look. Their molasses cookie - as large as a small plate, mind you, is exceptional. But it’s the iced pumpkin cookies we’re here for - large mounds of spiced dough, glazed with a generous helping of icing. They look more like scones than cookies. These are what my mom sent to me in care packages when I moved across the country, the cookies I dream about to this day. 

Daunted by the prospect of trying to recreate those cookies and failing, I decided instead to try to capture the essence of their flavour and texture in a tray bake. The result is what I call pumpkin blondies, richer than a slice of cake, but not as sweet as a cookie. They are delicious, they are perfect, they are everything I want them to be, and I just ask that you try making them so you can see for yourself. My daughters will choose one of these pumpkin blondies over any other treat or dessert you could offer them, any day (and they did, during the many rounds of recipe testing this one took).

Yes, I’m sending this out in time for Thanksgiving because they would be a delicious (and easy) option to add to the dessert table. But really these would be a great choice any time warm and fuzzy flavours are needed.

Ingredients

• 250 grams (1 ¼ cup) granulated sugar

• 123 grams (½ cup) pumpkin puree

• 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter

• 110 grams (¾ cup) white flour

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon ginger

• ¼ teaspoon cloves

For the icing:

• 75 grams (¾ cup) icing sugar

• 4-5 teaspoons whole milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (~350°F). 

2. Grease a baking dish with butter (I usually use a medium-sized pan 20x27cm (8x11in))

3. Cream butter and sugar together 

4. Add pumpkin puree and eggs.

5. Add vanilla, salt and spices

6. Add flour and gently stir to combine but do not overmix.

7. Pour into the prepared baking dish. 

8. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before adding drizzle.

10. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze; combine icing sugar and milk in a bowl. Whisk together to combine. 

11. Once blondies have cooled completely, drizzle glaze over the top in long diagonal stripes. Serve once the glaze has set.