Just in time for Halloween, Rania Harris is baking up the perfect dessert. She's showing Katie O'Malley how to make pumpkin brownies topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. 

Pumpkin Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter - room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¾ cup canned pumpkin
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ¼  cup cream cheese - room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• Vanilla ice cream
• Caramel sauce (warmed) (See recipe below)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees - grease an eight-inch square glass baking dish beat butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and blend well.  Add the canned pumpkin and beat well.  The mixture will look grainy.  Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger - blend well.  Add the nuts and blend well - spread batter into prepared pan. 

Mix cream cheese with sugar, egg yolk and heavy cream - drop cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls on top of the batter.  Using a knife - swirl cheese mixture into batter.  Bake for 35 minutes (until brownies test done).

To serve: 

Place warm brownie squares on a plate - top with a scoop of ice cream and drizzle warm caramel sauce on top. 

Serves: 8-10

Caramel Sauce:

• 1-bag caramels
• 1/2-cup evaporated milk

In a small pot, melt the caramels with the 1/2-cup evaporated milk. Cool slightly.