Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream and Classic Cocoa Brownies with Salted Caramel Drizzle

I get hate mail sometimes. 

Mostly from the people who are keeping sweets out of their diets completely. 

For this week especially, they should probably stay far far away from this little blondie blog. Each dessert recipe this week is sure to destroy any hope of neglecting those sweet little sugary morsels you've been hiding away in your lesser-used kitchen cabinets. 

I have all kinds of recipes in the queue until the end of the year. I usually share a couple savory and then a dessert one at the end of the week. This week, it's all desserts. So get your fork out, and have a seat. 

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This dessert was OFF THE HOOK. We had company over, and I wanted to make something a little special for them. The brownies are from dear Alton Brown, so you know they're dynamite. They were the perfect bed of warm chocolate to melt the homemade scoops of pumpkin cheesecake ice cream on. The ice cream was flat out ridiculous. It was almost offensive how long I've lived without tasting something as incredible as this. No more, I say. No more. 

To top it off, I drizzled some caramel and sprinkled a little sea salt. My husband didn't prefer the saltiness, but I had myself more than a small helping. 

xo, 

blondie

Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream
makes 2 quarts

ingredients:
1 15oz canned 100% pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 6-7oz can evaporated milk
1 8oz brick of cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t allspice
1 pinch ground cloves
1 1/2 C heavy cream

method:
1. Add the pumpkin, evaporated milk, cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until smooth, and scrape down the sides of the bowl when needed. When it's completely uniform throughout, add the heavy cream and pulse until it's evenly mixed. Don't overmix.
2. Pour into your ice cream maker and create ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions. I poured mine into the ice cream maker for about a half hour until it looked like soft serve, and then poured it into a large tupperware with a tight-fitting lid. Froze overnight.

recipe source: foodiewithfamily

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Classic Cocoa Brownies
makes 16 brownies in a 8x8 pan

ingredients:
soft butter, for greasing pan
flour, for dusting buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 C granulated sugar
1 C brown sugar
8oz melted butter
1 1/4 C cocoa, sifted
1/2 C flour, sifted
1/2 t salt

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Butter and flour and 8x8 square pan.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars, then remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly to combine.
3. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check with toothpick inserted in the center for doneness - should come out clean. If not, add 5 minutes and repeat. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

recipe source: Alton Brown

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assembly: 
1. On a dessert plate, place a square of a lightly warmed brownie in the center. Layer on a scoop of pumpkin cheesecake ice cream, and drizzle with caramel sauce, then sprinkle with sea salt.