Our Family Favorite Pumpkin Roll

Neither my mother or my mother-in-law made Pumpkin Rolls.   One of our first pumpkin rolls we purchased from the Amish roadside stand and we have been hooked ever since.   Through the years I have tried to make pumpkin rolls with no luck meaning a lot of broken cake rolls.   A few years ago I cam across this recipe and it works lovely every time.   Although I never remove the wax paper to roll in a kitchen a towel.  It is so much easier to just roll up in the wax paper and in the end the wax paper helps to roll it up after  you have spread the filling.

A few key tips are:

Use a 1/2 sheet pan to make  your rolls.

Do not remove from wax paper.  Instead use the ends of the wax paper to help you roll the cake up.

Once the roll has cooled and you unroll it to add the filling there will be a few minor cracks. 
Do not fill those cracks with filling.   Gently spread the filling as to not create more cracking. 

Once you fill and reroll your cake wrap it in saran wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour for it to set.

A number of recipes call for you to sprinkle with more powdered sugar before serving, but I find that makes the pumpkin much to sweet.   I skip that step.

Here is the recipe................

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Turn those Weeds into something Delicious

I have never thought of Dandelions as a weed.   I grew up in a family where every spring my father would take us out for a ride and we would forage for Cowslips, ramps,  and young Dandelion plants.   When we got back home my mother would clean them and saute them with a little butter and oil.   After I married my husband, I learned that the Italians liked to add them fresh into green salads.

The Dandelion plant in its entirety can be used for cooking, baking, tinctures, tea, wine and list goes on and on.   With that said, you should heed warnings, that you should research and study their uses and side effects.

On a whim I thought I might try it some in a cake mix and see how it came out.   First, you need to pick some Dandelions flowers.  I only used the flower part of the plant.  Be sure to pick where no one has sprayed the plants with a weed killer or fertilizer.   

Next you need to wash them in cold water to remove the bugs and other debris that may be in there. Set on paper towels to pat dry.   After washing the Dandelion flowers you will need to remove all green parts.   Prepare enough to make a cup of Dandelion tea and enough to add to the cake mix.

You can make dandelion tea from any part of the Dandelion plant.  Tea made with the flower tends to more delicate and sweet than those made with other parts of plant.   If you don't want to make your own you can purchase Dandelion Tea from many stores or online. 

To make the tea from the flower, pick, clean and sort enough of the flower petals to fill a quart jar.   In a small sauce pan or tea pot heat water to boiling.    Poor boiling water over the petals and let steep to your liking.   Once it is to your liking strain out the flower petals and store in refrigerator.  You can then use in the manner of your liking.

For the cake you need one cup Dandelion Tea to replace the water in the cake mix recipe.

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Pistachio Cake

This is a must keep cake recipe that you will find yourself making again and again.    We have used this cake for birthdays, holidays, and for just an all around snacking cake.  Pistachio Cake  is a lovely green show stopper that can be used on those holidays such as Christmas or Saint Patrick's Day to help reinforce those holiday colors.

I first tried this cake at my husband's cousins house.  We had been invited on many occasions to  attend dinner or picnic at her home.   Immediately after tasting this cake, I had to have the recipe. 

Yes, there are several versions of this recipe on the web.  However, this is the only version I have ever made.   It is so moist and delicious and it has become one of our family favorites.  

Give it a try and see what your family thinks.

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This Is How I Roll

My dad worked the 2nd shift at a local factory while I was growing up.   Nearly everyday, I remember my mom packing his lunch and setting it out for him in a simple brown lunch Bag.   One of the things she used to pack him was a piece of Jelly Roll Cake that she had purchased at the local store.    

I have attempted many recipes in trying to recreate it and many have failed.  This one, however, hits the nail right on the head.    Yipee!    Now I can make it and play with the fillings.  As you can see from the photo below I have already strayed from the plain strawberry jelly filling.   

Jelly Cake Roll Recipe

Ingredients

6 eggs, separated and at room temperature

1/4 cup water

1-1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1-1/4 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Confectioners' sugar

Filling

1 jar (12 ounces) your favorite jelly

1 8-oz. pkg. Cream Cheese Softened

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups Original Cool Whip

Bring eggs to room temperature and separate the yolks from the whites.  Save each in a separate bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Line a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and water on high speed 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Stir in extracts. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together twice; gradually add to yolk mixture and mix well (batter will be very thick).

Add cream of tartar to egg whites; with clean beaters, beat on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until soft glossy peaks form. Fold a fourth of the egg whites into batter; continue to fold in remaining whites. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool 5 minutes. Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Make the filling by placing the room temperature cream cheese in a bow.  Beat on low to medium speed until cream cheese is soft and pliable.  Add in the 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar, mix until thoroughly combined.   Add in vanilla and 2 cups cool whip.   Mix until combined.    

Unroll cake; spread evenly with a layer of jelly and then the cream cheese filling, Roll up; place on serving dish and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Note & Swaps

• I used home made black raspberry jelly, but you can use your favorite. 
• I also filled mine with a cream cheese, whip cream filling, but why not try filling it with Cheesecake, Ice Cream or Pudding?   All of those sound delicious. 

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Going to the Chapel

I am told repeatedly by friends and family I should open a restaurant or bakery.  My reply: " Too much work.  I only bake for family and friends."

Seriously,  just about the time you think you have a recipe down pat, you make it and it is flop.  For instants, this past weekend I made an Oreo cake with Pudding Frosting and wouldn't you know it, the frosting was a flop.   I have made the recipe hundreds of times, but for all intense purposes this weekend it did not turn out.   I had to doctor it up or throw it out.  Thankfully, doctoring it up worked.  

Now back to baking for family and friends: My nephew asked if I would make his wedding cake with not much information other than he was all about chocolate and his fiancé requested strawberry or marble.   They weren't fussy and said I could have free range, but they were expecting around 150 people at an outdoor reception.

I am not crazy.   I have only made a large tiered wedding cake one time in my life and that was for my parents 50th wedding anniversary.  It's a lot of work and you need a special cake stand.

Not a great photo of the cake but the only photo I have.   My mother cutting her 50th Wedding Anniversary Cake.  Not sure where my dad was, but most likely wanted no part in cutting of the cake.   

I decided for my nephews wedding to make three smaller cakes and lots of cup cakes. This would make it easier to travel and suit a variety of  tastes.   Plus, cupcakes are all the rage these day.

As you can see from the photo below the Grooms cake was all about chocolate.  A chocolate cake with pudding cream cheese frosting topped with ganache and chocolate covered strawberries.

The Grooms cake.

The Brides cake was Strawberry cake layered with strawberry jam,  frosted with vanilla pudding cream cheese frosting and topped with white chocolate covered Strawberries

The Brides cake.

The Mr. and Mrs. Cake was a Marbled cake, frosted with vanilla pudding cream cheese frosting and drizzled with chocolate ganache and topped with both white chocolate and chocolate covered strawberries.

My display for the cakes was a three tier  Victorian style stand.

Besides the three smaller cakes I baked several different flavored cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcake with peanut butter mousse frosting topped with ganache and peanut brittle.

Chocolate High Hat Cupcake with dark chocolate mousse frosting dipped in chocolate and topped with sprinkles.

Banana Cupcake with Banana pudding frosting topped with marshmallow banana and dried banana chips

Pistachio Cupcake with Pistachio frosting and nuts



Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting topped with mini chocolate chips and maraschino cherry.

Strawberry cake topped with jam, cheesecake frosting and white chocolate dipped strawberry.

Lemon cake with lemon pudding frosting and candy lemon wedge.

There is no recipe today, just photos, but some of the recipes have been posted in the past.  Follow the links for those recipes.  

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