Hi, friend!  I’m back!  Well, my computer’s back… from the dead.  Seriously.

My hard drive crashed two weeks ago — which took a few days to diagnose as a hard drive crash.  The repair shop initially thought it was just my software, then it turned out to be my hard drive.  Everything was gone… photos, music, documents.

It’s one of those things you feel like a jerk freaking out about.  Because let’s be real: in the grand scheme of things, computers can be replaced, music can be recovered, photos can be uploaded again.

And to be honest, it was kind of liberating.  To minimalize.  To organize.  To start fresh.

But.  But!  I did miss this.  I missed sharing stories, photos, and recipes with you.

While my computer was in the shop, I took a quick road trip to my college hometown to visit old friends.  I was inspired by their love, by the food we ate, and by the changing leaves that surrounded me.  It was refreshing and lovely.

I’ve stock piled a few recipes, so I’ll be sharing those with you in the coming days.

To start, let’s talk about these blondies: their consistency is more like pumpkin pie and less like brownie.  They’re the perfect amount of sweet — so creamy and delicious.  Perfect to share with loved ones on a fall afternoon.  Bake them.  Enjoy them.

Happy weekend!  I’ll be back on Monday with some more deliciousness for you.

Pumpkin Blondies

Recipe adapted from Inspired By Charm

You will need:

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. light brown sugar, packed

1 and 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cloves

1 egg

1 t. vanilla extract

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

3/4 c. white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13″ pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Set aside.

3. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment), mix brown sugar and melted butter together.

4. Add in egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.  Mix thoroughly.

5. Slowly mix in flour and stir until just combined.  Gently fold in white chocolate chips.

6. Pour batter into pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Blondies will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 2 days.