*Yawnnn*

I know what you must be thinking. It's 1:45am! What are you doing up? Finished my baking up earlier, so I really don't have an excuse, except I started working on divvying up the goods while watching Elf (for the gazillionth time this holiday season) and The Nightmare Before Christmas, which I have never seen before. Good movie!

Tonight I made the Peppermint Bark (I haven't cut it up yet, but will provide pictures later):


Also made the Banana Cream Cheese Bread:



I also made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies (recipe to follow below):


One tired helper (child):


I haven't gotten around to the Egg Nog Pound Cake yet and I am considering holding off til New Years Eve because of the fact that I have baked so much it's not even funny. Not to mention, my husband had to run back to the store to pick up the Rum Extract for me, but didn't return (and got home after work, long after I was done baking). I will get around to that. I am just not sure when.

Here is the promised recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies, courtesy of Diana's Desserts:

Ingredients
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180 C). Coat a 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine sugar, pumpkin, egg, egg whites and oil in large mixer bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, salt and nutmeg. Beat on low speed until batter is smooth. Stir in morsels. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Makes 16 (2-inch) brownies.

Note from Jen: Good stuff! I didn't have cocoa on hand, so I just substituted a little more sugar. I also did not use white sugar (stuck with dark brown sugar) so it is not as sweet and not as rich as I thought it would be. It's pretty good!