Karen's Pumpkin Pie Blondies

Pumpkin pie is my favorite pie, right after cherry of course. I have been know to have more than 2 whipped cream covered pumpkin pie slices on Thanksgiving and had the stomach pains to prove it. More recently I have been making sweet potato pie for the holidays ever since I got the recipe from Karen.

Prior to my obtaining Karen's recipe I made sweet potato cake with pecans and delectable icing. It quickly became a family tradition along with my baked apples with butterscotch sauce. My second Thanksgiving with my husband I once again set out to make my cake. The base of my cake was a can of Bruce's Sweet Potato Pie filling, and the side of the can had directions for how to make the cake. That Thanksgiving I would not find Bruce's. I had always been able to find in at Albertsons, however I cannot count how many Albertsons I went to to find that stupid pie filling. By this time I was cranky and crying. My husband, being the good man that he is, attempted to console me, but of course I could not be consoled. He finally found Bruce's on Amazon and ordered 2 cans for me. I was delighted and my worrying was done, this is until it never came. It was just days before Thanksgiving and I had no way to make sweet potato cake. He pleaded with me to let him call his friend Karen, because he was sure that because she was from the South she would know where to find Bruce's. When he finally wore down my pride and I allowed him to call she gave a little chuckle as if to say, "Pie filling? You think I use pie filling from the can? Who do you think I am? Where do you think I'm from? Foolish Californians do I have to teach you everything?" Okay so her chuckle didn't say all that, but I felt like it did. As you can guess Karen didn't know where to find Bruce's but she kindly gave me her recipe for sweet potato pie.

Nowadays I don't even want to make that cake because Karen's pie is so good. The recipe can also be used with pumpkin, and that is where I got my idea for pumpkin pie blondies. I whip up my blondie batter then add some of Karen's pie to the mix. When I pull it out of the oven and slice it it is like eating an ultra portable slice of pumpkin pie that you can take anywhere. In honor of Karen I had to name these treats after her.