Gluten Free Browned Butter Pumpkin Blondies

Brown the butter:

*see notes for dairy free browned butter

• Place your butter in a small saucepan or skillet (it will bubble up a little, so make sure you account for this).
• Turn the burner to low to low-medium heat. NOTE: It is important that you constantly stir the mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula scraping the bottom. A little popping is normal, but stirring will help. The whole process will take 5-7 minutes. Alternately, you can also swirl the mixture in the pan by holding onto the handle and making a gentle circling motion. You will start to see the butter get foamy, take on a slightly brown color and smell nutty. You will also start to see a brown  sediment on the bottom of the pan. When you see this, turn off the heat immediately and carefully pour the browned butter into a heatproof measuring cup or bowl. This will ensure that the cooking process stops and the butter does not burn. It will also help to cool the butter more quickly.

Make the Blondies:

1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups gluten free flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, and cooled browned butter. Tip: Make sure you use a rubber spatula to get all of the browned butter bits. 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until well mixed.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 22-24 minutes.

Make the icing:

1. In a small bowl, measure out 1 cup of powdered sugar, add 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream and whip 30 seconds until smooth and slightly thickened. After the bars are cool, pour the icing over and eat immediately or allow icing to set up a bit before consuming.