Tuesday How To - Now Let Me See Your Pumpkin Rolllll

Forgive my throwback title, I couldnt resist.

Does your family have a traditional holiday dessert? Every year I try to make one of my favorite seasonal baked goods - a pumpkin roll. If you ever use Libby's brand pumpkin puree, there is a photo of one on the can and a note to visit their website for the recipe. I've sent the recipe to people for swaps, too, so I thought that it would maybe help to document the process in case some people dont know what I'm talking about. I'm a visual learner myself, so pictures always help me when I'm trying something new.

To start, here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Roll

Cake:

3/4 C. Flour

1 Tsp Salt

3 Large Eggs

1 C. Sugar

2/3 C. Canned (cooked) Pumpkin/ pumpkin puree

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese

1 C. sifted confectioners sugar

2 TBS butter (softend)

1 Tsp vanilla

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees (F).

Then you butter and flour (well) a jelly roll pan. If you're not familiar with what a jelly roll pan is, it's about 12 x 17 and 1 inch deep. Essentially a baking sheet with sides.

Combine your cake ingredients in a bowl (dry first then add the wet), and mix until thick. Then pour your batter into the jelly roll pan and spread it out evenly, like so:

Sometimes if it's bubbly I lightly "tap" the pan on the counter to get them out.

Pop the pan in the oven for about 13-15 minutes, or until its springy (it might not take that long, depending on your oven).

 

While the cake is baking, prep a clean, dry, flat weave towel by laying it flat and sprinkling it generously with powdered sugar. If you want to buy one, they're usually labelled as "flour sack" towels.

Here's what mine looks like -

 Dont lie, I know you think it's hot :)

When you take the cake out of the oven, make sure you dont reach around the potholder and burn your thumb like I did (ouch). Pull it out, loosen the sides, and turn it onto your prepped towel, then dust the top with more sugar. My cake usually ends up sticking to the pan, but just use a long spatula and carefully separate it if the cake needs a little help.

Next is the most difficult part - rolling the cake. You need to do this while it is warm because it is easiest, and as it cools the cake will keep the "memory" of being rolled, and make it easier when you put the filling on it. Starting on the LONG side, carefully roll it up in the towel, like so:

Let it cool about 15 minutes. While you're waiting is a good time to mix up your frosting. Make sure your cream cheese and butter are softened, and that you sift your confectioners sugar as this helps keep the smoothest consistency for the filling. I usually forget about the sifting, but thats just because I dont have anything to do it with. Add the ingredients in a bowl and mix it up.

By now your cake should be cool, so unroll the towel and get to fillin'- I usually fill on the "under" side (that was in the pan), because then the nice top part is what you see when you eat it.

Then you roll the cake up again - leave the towel out this time, though.

Wrap it up in waxed paper or parchment, and pop it in the fridge. When its ready to serve, slice it up and make it pretty on a plate.

nom nom.


Happy Eating!

SCC Cooking - Soda Cupcakes

Ok, I'm by no means a chef or food stylist, but I had to share this recipe with you - it's just too good to keep to myself.

If you know me personally you will probably find my love for these a little shocking since I dont normally like chocolate, or boxed mix, but these are awesome because they are:

1. Not Dense and,
2. Not Dry

These cupcakes are so, so good. I was originally thinking of putting some Nutella frosting on them (because Nutella is the noms), but honestly? These dont need frosting -  They are that good.

Guess whats in it?

(I'm not a perfect photographer either.....)

Only 2 ingredients!

This mix made 18 cupcakes/muffins, but you could easily stretch it to 2 dozen.

Whisk together the soda and cake mix, then drop into lined muffin pants and bake in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for 18-2- minutes. You may have to adjust the time depending on your oven - mine runs hot, so yours may take a little longer. Check them at about 18 minutes - if they look "done", test one or two by sticking a toothpick in the center, and if it comes out clean, you're good to go.

I have to be honest, I didn't come up with this idea - Specifically I got the recipe from Hungry Girl, who has a lot of recipes for cakes that use only two ingredients. I'd heard of using canned pumpkin, but not soda so I knew I had to try it out! I'm so glad I did - with all the different versions and flavor combinations, I may never go back to "traditional" cakes. These taste to much better! My boyfriend and I each had one for dessert last night, and I brought in a few for my (male) coworkers today - it's funny how all these guys usually say they aren't much for sweets, but they all loved them! I bet you will, too.

Warm Soup on a Cold Day

It's supposed to be spring here in CNY but the weather has turned regrettably cold, so I thought I'd share some recipes to add to everyone's  comfort food arsenal. There are 2 here that are veggie friendly. I've made all but the Squash and Pepper soup specifically, though I have made a similar recipe that was very good.


Yellow Squash & Bell Pepper Soup


1/4 C chopped onion                                                                 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 TBS unsalted butter                                                                1 C low salt chicken broth
1 large yellow bell pepper, thin sliced (about 1 1/2 C)                 2 TBS chopped fresh coriander
3/4 lb yellow summer squash, sliced thin crosswise (about 3 C)


In a large skillet cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add bell pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until pepper is softened, about 5 min. Stir in squash and garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 10 min. Stir in broth and bring mixture to a simmer. In a blender puree soup until smooth and transfer to a saucepan. Cook soup over moderate heat until just heated through, stirring in enough water to thin to desired consistency, and season with salt and pepper.
Serve soup sprinkled with coriander.




Corn Chowder


1 Potato, peeled & cubed                 2 C Milk
1 Onion, chopped                                    2 TBS Butter
1 C water                                         1 - 16 oz can Cream Corn
Salt & Pepper                                  1 Egg
4-8 slices Bacon                                         Cubed Cooked Ham (optional)


Cook bacon til crisp. Cool & crumble, set aside. Simmer potato & onion in water til potato is tender. Stir in corn, milk, butter, ham, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Beat egg in a small dish. Add some of the hot chowder to temper, stir well & return to pot. Re-heat the chowder for a minute or two, but dont let it boil. Ladle into bowls & garnish with bacon


Recipe can (and should!) be doubled, and meat can be omitted if desired.




French Onion Soup


One of my favorite and easiest soups to make  - and very satisfying


4 C Beef broth
5 - 6 large Sweet Onions (Like Vidalias)
Fresh Thyme
Gruyere/ Fontina/ Some kind of melty cheese
Crusty bread


Chop the onions & a few sprigs of fresh thyme & saute in a pan. Add Beef broth and simmer (15-20 min?).
Ladle into crocks & top with slices or cubes of crusty bread and slices of Fontina cheese. Pop them in the broiler for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.


You could sub the beef broth with vegetable stock, but I haven't tried it.


Apple Cheddar Soup

Bad photograph, but I think it's delicious soup.

1/2 C fine chopped onion                                                    2 C apple cider

1 TBS butter                                                                      1/2 C milk

2 med baking potatoes, peeled & diced                              1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp snipped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried & crushed)        1 med cooking apple, peeled & coarse chopped

Dash cayenne                                                                     4 oz grated sharp cheddar

2 TBS flour                                                                        Green Peppercorns (optional)

fresh apple slices

In a large saucepan cook onion in butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in potatoes, cider, thyme, salt and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the chopped apple & simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender. In a small bowl combine milk and flour, then stir into soup. Cook and stir until bubbly. Slowly add in cheese, whisking until cheese is melted. Divide among 4-6 bowls, top with apple slice & pepper corns (if using)

And as a bonus, I'm going to put in one more, from an older swap that was for Fall themed recipes -


Pumpkin Soup with Chili-Cran-Apple Relish

This is a Rachael Ray recipe from her magazine. I made it the first time because my boyfriend had made a squash and sausage soup and I wanted to find a recipe to make myself. This came out really well (in my opinion - if you dont like squash you might not like it), and I think the relish for the top is a great finisher. You could always leave out the relish and the sausage and kick up the spice in the soup if you didn't want to go all out.


Soup:
1 TBS olive oil, 1 turn of the pan                                     2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 TBS butter                                                                  1 tsp hot sauce/ to taste
1 fresh bay leaf                                                               6 C chicken stock
2 ribs celery, fine chopped                                         1 - 28 oz can pumpkin puree
1 medium yellow onion, fine chopped                              2 C Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper                                                              1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg


Heat a medium soup pot over med to med-high heat. Add oil and melt butter. Add bay leaf, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook 6-7 minutes til tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning & hot sauce, then cook flour 1 min. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken it a bit, then add cream & nutmeg.


While soup cooks, assemble the relish by combining these ingredients in a bowl:
Relish:
1/4 red onion, fine chopped                                            1 tsp chili powder
1 crisp Macintosh apple, chopped                                   2 tsp honey
2 TBS lemon juice                                                          1/2 tsp cinnamon.
1/2 C dried cranberries, chopped


Adjust seasonings in soup to tast and serve in shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls of relish.