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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Jalapeno Chicken Wraps with Cream Cheese and Bacon

Jalapeno Chicken Wraps

18 fresh Jalapeno’s

1 brick of cream cheese, softened

½ cup onion, diced fine

½ cup peppers, diced fine

1/3 cup carrot, diced fine

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 lb. think sliced Smokey bacon

1/3 cup NY Maple Syrup

1 pkg. over sized toothpicks to hold it all together

There are a few steps to recipe so I found it best to one task at time for each ingredient before moving on to the next. 

Cut chicken breast into thin strips.  Place in bowl with store bought Speedie Chicken Sauce to marinate.

In small sauté pan, sauté onion, peppers, carrots, and garlic until soft and tender to the bite.   Remove from heat and let cool.

Well your vegetables are cooling, cut each Jalapeno in half, leaving the stem intact.   Remove seeds and membranes.   Remember to leave both halves together so you don’t have to match them up later.   

In small bowl, combine softened cream cheese and cooled vegetables.   Stir until combined.  

Fill each half of the Jalapeno with the cream cheese mixture and then sandwich back together. Place on a foil lined baking sheet or cutting board.   Fill all remaining peppers and set aside. 

Start wrapping each filled pepper with a strip of chicken.  I was able to find oversized toothpicks to stick through the middle and help hold everything together.   Once you have the chicken in place, you can then wrap it with a strip of bacon.   Place it on a foil lined baking sheet.    When the tray is full, brush each piece with maple syrup.  Place on sheet and place in a 350° oven.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Notes:  You won’t be disappointed with these.  While they are baking, they fill the house with a warm, spicy, maple aroma.   It drove our dog bonkers.  It wasn’t long after they were out of the oven that I found myself having to do a taste test.    Taste testing was delectable.  The Speedie marinade added just enough of a vinegar note to flavor the chicken.  The jalapeno on the inside and the bacon on the outside gave both the cream cheese and the chicken, a hidden Smokey flavor.    The sweetness of the maple syrup and the cool, creaminess of cream cheese off sets the heat of the jalapeno.  You won’t be able to stop at just one.  

You can amp up the filling by changing up the ingredients.   Tried these another time by mixing softened cream cheese with a drained black bean and corn salsa.  

You might try skipping the speedy sauce and brushing the chicken with a spicy mustard.   

Next time I am going to try a mixture of cream cheese and crumbly blue and try for more of a chicken wing flavor.    

The possibilities are endless.



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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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Oreo Cake

A cake for all of you who love Oreos.  Funny thing is, I have never been a big fan of Oreos.  Probably because I don't really care for milk.   However, this cake is yummy and I don't even mind the Oreos.   

This cake looks elegant and difficult to make, but it really is simple and tasty.   Any chocolate lover will get their fix having a slice of this cake.   The filling is basically the same recipe for all those Oreo Truffles you see around Christmas time.   Oh and the fudge topping adds yet another level of chocolate heaven. 


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Sweet Pickled Jalapenos aka Cowboy Candy

A few years back I made Heaven and Hell Pickles, basically a sweet pickle with some jalapeno slices mixed in.   They were really yummy, pleasing those who like a little sweet and those that like a little hot and spicy.   Made them again this year, but my son said I didn’t put enough jalapenos in.    So, I am surprising him with some full on Sweet Pickled Jalapenos, also known as Cowboy candy.   

 

I researched some recipes on line but found that they range from really absurd recipes with just water and sugar to more difficult recipes with a long list of ingredients.   My favorite recipe is not really a recipe but requires a package of Mrs. Wages Sweet Pickle Mix, white vinegar, sugar and water.    Simple and easy.

 

Notes/Swaps

• Put these on a hamburger or hot dog
• Place on top of cracker spread w/cream cheese and jam/jelly
• Pat dry and put some in your corn bread

 

If you can't find the pickling mix put out by Mrs. Wages you can follow this recipe for sweet pickles.  Just swap out the small cucumbers for jalapeño's

 

Sweet Pickles

Ingredients:

6 pounds pickling cucumbers, ¼ inch slice
6 Tablespoons kosher salt
4 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
4 cup granulated white sugar
4 cup white vinegar
2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
6 teaspoons mustard seeds
4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Directions:

Combine cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 1 1/2 hours. Move cucumbers into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return cucumbers to bowl. Add onion to the bowl.  Mix with hands.  Pack into prepared canning jars.

Combine sugar and remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture.  Fill to ¼ inch from top of jar.  Cover with lid and twist ring cap as tight as you can.   Place in hot water bath for 10 minutes.  Remove to cool completely.   Check for unsealed jars when cooled.  Place sealed jars in pantry and unsealed jars (if any) in the fridge (will keep up to 2 weeks).  



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You're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop

You're my Honeybunch, Sugarplum

Pumpy-umpy-umpkin, You're my Sweetie Pie

You're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop

Snoogums-Boogums, You're the Apple of my Eye

And I love you so and I want you to know

That I'll always be right here

And I love to sing sweet songs to you

Because you are so dear

Two of my Favorite Cupcakes are  Oreo Fudge.........

and Red velvet Cream Cheesecake.............

I can promise you neither of these are or ever will a disappointment.    They are moist and delicious.   and the recipes are similar but lead your tastes buds down entirely different paths.   Who wants dessert?    You should make a batch of each and host your own cupcake wars.    

Oreo Fudge Cupcakes

1 Devils Food Cake Mix (mixed and baked as directed for cupcakes)

1 Jar of Hershey's Hot Fudge Sauce (to frost cupcakes when cooled)

1 8 oz. pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups of Cool whip, thawed

1 tsp. vanilla extract/flavoring

12 regular sized Oreos

1 can miniature Oreos or decoration of your choice

Mix cake mix and bake as directed for cupcakes.   Let cool.  When cooled frost with small amount of hot fudge sauce.   Place 12 regular sized Oreos into food processer and whir until it looks like sand.  Set aside. Mix together in mixing bowl:  cream cheese (beat until creamy), sugar, vanilla, and cool whip.  Once it is all mixed you can stir in the crushed Oreos.   Pipe onto fudge frosted cupcakes.  Top with mini Oreo.   Keep in frig.  

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cuppy's 

1 Red Velvet Cake Mix (mixed and baked with the following swap)

Replace water with Moscato Wine

1 8 oz. pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups of Cool whip, thawed

1 tsp. vanilla extract/flavoring

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1 jar Maraschino cherries with stems (drained and patted dry)

Mix the cake mix as directed but swap out the water and replace it with Moscato wine.  Put into cupcake liners bake and cool.

When cupcakes are cool.  Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cool whip until creamy.   Stir in 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips.   Pipe onto cooled cupcakes, top with a maraschino cherry.

 

 



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