Delicious Reading: Apples, pumpkins, cookies and cups

As I write this, we are in the midst of the first true heat wave of the summer of 2014. After our relatively mild summer, I don't really mind a few hot days. However, even though I am in shorts and a tank top, my thoughts are drifting to fall. Sweater weather! Apple picking! Pumpkin patches!

Thinking about apples and pumpkins gets me excited about baking again, since I give the oven a break in the warmer months. Did you know these autumnal favorites also can be used as substitutes for the fat in baked goods? Pumpkin puree and applesauce both have a one-to-one ratio for oil (substitute one cup of oil with one cup of pumpkin puree or applesauce). If substituting for butter, you could use half butter and half pumpkin puree so the consistency won't be affected.

Sometimes, you can substitute pumpkin for even more than the oil. Two Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies were popularized by the blog "Cookies and Cups." Its author, Shelly, began blogging in 2008 after seeing the Bakerella site online. She thought starting a blog would be a great way to justify her love of baking. If she took pictures and posted the recipes for the goodies, that meant she just HAD to bake more! She set off "chronicling her life in sugar" and developed quite a following. She has no formal training, so she writes from the perspective of a regular home cook. Her site categorizes the recipes by fun treats, cookies, cakes and dinners (for when you need a break from all the sweets). You can check it out at cookiesandcups.com.

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies

Ingredients:

1 "family size" box (19.5 ounces) brownie mix

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (solid pack puree, not pie filling)

Directions:

(Do not use any of the oil, eggs or water called for on the box - just the dry mix and the pumpkin. You could also sprinkle in a few chocolate chips or nuts if you like, but then I guess these would be "Three or Four Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies.")

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9-inch pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix together brownie mix and pumpkin until smooth.

Spread batter into pan and bake for 25 or 30 minutes until set. Let cool completely. Frost if desired.

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About Brooke

Brooke Clubbs is a Jackson mom of three, a freelance writer and a communications instructor.