Pumpkin Roll

One of my fall favorites. If you’re too scared to make a roll cake, I’m here to tell you to be afraid no longer. Super easy and frosting, as always, hides almost all baking sins.

Gather all the ingredients and lets get to work. First thing first, six eggs into the mixer. Whip it.

Whip it good.

Whip it real good.

It takes about five minutes on high with the kitchen aid. That monstrous drop you see at hanging on to dear life; it never fell. That’s how you know the egg whipping is done.

Next add the sugar. I sprinkle it in while it whips after the 5 min. mark. Then slop in the pumpkin and keep on keeping on.

Throw in the spices and the flour. When well blended (the time it takes to line a bakers half-sheet with foil, two layers) pour into the lined, cooking sprayed pan. (Extra precautions to make sure the foil removes easily.) Smooth out the hills and valleys and push it into a preheated, 375 degree oven for 15-20 mins. or until the toothpick test is clean.

While baking, lay out a large kitchen towel and top with two sheets of waxed paper sprinkled heavily with powdered sugar. Make it look like a winter wonderland.

After baking, flip the entire pan over onto the sugared waxed paper. Carefully peel off the foil, making sure that the cake doesn’t follow. No reason to have a candle tart when you’ve got the real thing.

Instead of a winter wonderland, go for a blizzard.

Let’s roll. Be brave; start at the beginning with a little curl and work your way to the end. The towel will come in contact with the sugar, but there’s no need to worry unless it happens to be the one you mopped up the kids’ muddy footprints with.

There! Doesn’t that look nice? Now into the fridge to set.

After a sufficient amount of time, gingerly unroll, be sure to remove the paper and towel, smear with cream cheese frosting and roll it up again. Slather on the rest and voila! Pumpkin roll.

These can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer. Just make sure you don’t frost the outside until right before you serve. I think I might make a Yule log, using chocolate curls as bark, chocolate cake and butter pecan frosting for the filling.

Pumpkin Roll

6 eggs

2 c sugar

1 1/3 c canned pumpkin

2 t lemon juice

1 1/2 c flour

2 t baking soda

4 t cinnamon

2 t ground ginger

1 t nutmeg

1 t salt

1 c crushed walnuts (if desired)

Beat eggs on high for five minutes until frothy. Blend in sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. After combining flour, salt, soda, and spices, add to mixture until well incorporated.

Spread evenly onto a sprayed and foil lined half sheet. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake @ 375 for 15-20 mns. or until clean.

Remove from oven and turn out onto a towel topped with wax paper and powdered sugar. Roll from the shorter side of the cake. Cool.

Unroll and spread with cream cheese frosting. Roll again, place seam side down and continue frosting the outside. Cover and chill in fridge for 3 hrs. before serving. Freezes well for several months.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 c powdered sugar

8 T (or a stick) softened butter

12oz softened cream cheese

1 t vanilla

Whip until smooth. Refrigerate unused frosting.

Not Your Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies

NYGOC

1 c margarine softened

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar (packed)

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 c oats

2 bars of Hershey chocolate, chunked into bits

2 c white chocolate chips

1 c nuts (either pecans, walnuts, almonds)

1 c flaked coconut

Cream margarine and sugars, add egg and vanilla. Mix powder, soda, salt and flour together and add slowly. Toss in the oats. Remove from mixer and add chocolates, nuts, and coconut. The dough will be quite thick, hands work great.

In the palm of your hand, roll a doughnut hole sized ball and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for approx. 14 mins. Remove and cool on a wire rack, store inside an airtight container.