Hello Fall!

Although it only feels like it was just yesterday that summer was upon us (AKA this past weekend), the changing of the leaves and the cooler temperatures are sending a signal to all of us Bostonians that Autumn is here. And I cannot for the life of me figure out how September went by so quickly! Am I the only one who is shocked by how quickly the month of September went by? I swear, just a few weeks ago I was moving into my new apartment. Now, the leaves are not only changing, but falling off the trees and I’m bundled up in my Northface!!!!

But I digress. Despite my apparent shock and slight hint of denial, I actually love October. Next to December, this is my favorite month. Why? Well, other then the obvious reason of Halloween, October means pumpkin season! And cold nights with a big cup of hot cocoa. And let’s not forget massive leaf piles! Essentially, all the things I loved as a kid and still continue to love today. Of course, October is about more than just mugs of hot chocolate and pumpkin chocolate cookies, it is also the month that, at least for me, school becomes real. October is the month where homework picks up, projects begin, and paper topics are chosen. September is the month of transition for me, October is when everything settles down. However, just because my academic responsibilities have doubled or tripled, that doesn’t mean that fun cannot be had.

I’ll confess, sometimes I am impressed at how I managed to find time to bake something deliciously sweet despite having at least 100 pages of reading and two papers to write. And yet, I do it, and the results are always worth it. To help usher in the season of Fall and the month of October, I’m sharing an autumn twist on the conventional brownie. Instead of cocoa, this recipe calls for pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. For those of you who don’t have pumpkin spice on hand, its actually very easy to make from scratch. All you need is nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Measurements are easy to come across if you Google ‘Homemade Pumpkin Spice’ and can be adjusted if you only need a small amount and don’t want any leftovers. But if you love pumpkin and chocolate together, then you probably will want to hold onto your leftovers. In fact, the recipe only calls for half a can of pumpkin puree almost as if it is begging you to make the recipe again just so you can use all of the puree up. Either way, this makes a delicious autumn treat and it is definitely a recipe worth trying.

I’ve included a picture taken by the blogger (I forgot to take one myself) just to tempt you.