Dessert auditions

This year for one of the first times ever I have the time to try out (audition) recipes for Thanksgiving. Because my year has been so turbulent, I'm not hosting, but have been asked to bring a dessert and an appetizer.

This week I'm holding the dessert auditions. So yesterday I made this recipe for Pumpkin Blondies. I tried to make it first thing in the morning, and I should have known better than to trust the time estimate without checking. In my mind, a 9 x 13 pan of anything takes longer than 20 minutes at 350 degrees. But yesterday I just pulled the pan and went on with my day. So I came back to some semi-custardy brownies. They taste good, but next time I'd bake them longer for sure. Today I cut them into small squares and dusted them with powdered sugar, and am bringing them to a potluck tonight.

So then I went on a Pinterest search for some even better Pumpkin Blondies and I found this recipe (which is pictured above). Holy cannoli these look good, don't they? As I type, these are baking away and let me tell you, my house smells like Thanksgiving. I'm thinking that anything that has white chocolate, butterscotch, and pumpkin has got to be amazing, but I'll let you know once they are out and cooled. Oh, I used chopped walnuts instead of hazelnuts, partly because I had walnuts, and partly because I like the slightly bitter taste of walnuts with the very sweet chips.

But wait, there's more! Later today I'm making this recipe for Apple Cranberry Cheesecake Bars. Well, except there will be no apple. And no cranberry. The recipe calls for Apple Cranberry Pie Filling, but I couldn't find that at the store. So mine will probably be cherry and blueberry, because that just sounds really good to me.

Holy cow, the oven is smelling amazing!

Later this week, come back for pie auditions. I'll be back with the results tomorrow.