Today is the first day of the Holiday Blog Hop that Erin @ Big Fat Baker organized! And today’s post is supposed to include one of these three things – pumpkin, apple or maple. Originally I was tempted to attempt working them all into something, but I am just feeling the pumpkin, even though I keep meaning to make apple-y things now that the weather has started to cool down (if only for a few days). And I FINALLY found apple cider. But I digress…

I don’t think I’ve ever had gingerbread outside of it’s cookie-man form. I also don’t think I’ve ever baked something gingerbread-y before Thanksgiving because I believe in celebrating one holiday before moving onto the next. But I justified this by adding pumpkin spice kisses. It’s the dessert to transition between the fall and winter holidays – the pumpkin from Halloween/Thanksgiving and gingerbread for Christmas. It makes me food-holiday happy!

The scoop of vanilla ice cream on top drizzled with more melted pumpkin spice kisses put me in pure bliss. I should’ve popped in the Fireplace bluray and lit a fireplace-scented candle to complete the mood (oh non-fireplace apartment living).

This would also work well with any other flavor of kisses. Look out for those Christmas ones to use later for a strictly Christmas-y dessert! Be sure to check out the other posts for today’s blog hop at the bottom of this post.

PUMPKIN KISSED GINGERBREAD BROWNIES

Makes 18 brownies

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cups dark brown sugar

1/4 cups cocoa powder

2 tsp ground ginger

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground clove

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup whole milk

1 large egg plus one yolk

1/4 cup boiling water

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1-10 oz. bag pumpkin spice Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

2 Tbsp milk, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Sift together all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
3. Combine the butter, molasses, milk, egg, and yolk in a medium bowl. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
4. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup boiling water with the baking soda. Add the water to the batter and stir to combine.
5. Line the prepared pan with 50 kisses, then pour the batter evenly over top of the kisses. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean – 25-30 minutes. Transfer brownies to a rack to cool.
6. Optional: Place remaining kisses in double broiler with milk to melt.  Scoop ice cream on top of brownie and drizzle melted chocolate over ice cream and brownie, and serve.

Source: Adapted from Country Living and Picky Palate.