Oh Alright, I give up, I give in!
I know you're all 'pumpkined-out' but I have fallen trap with those millions who cannot but help post a pumpkin recipe come Thanksgiving. I have tried to ignore these orange globes all season but Alas! It is not be be! I have been haunted by the thought that as Thanksgiving approaches at neck breaking speed, I must follow suit after my fellow brethren in the blogosphere and magazine publishers and post one, just one pumpkin recipe.
For those of us who belong to the category of people who have eyed recipes containing the terms 'swiss rolls' and 'jelly roll pan' with some trepidation, I'll have you know that for all our sakes, I have had a breakthrough - swiss rolls are forgiving!
I never thought I'd hear me say these words - but there, I've said it and I mean it. I have never claimed to be an ace baker but mainly some who loves to cook and happens to bake because I love, absolutely love the sweet scent and taste of fresh baked oven goodies. That and the fact that my two little munchkins cannot be denied their weekly treat.
So when I decided that for these holidays I would bake something with pumkin, after tossing the swiss roll idea around face book and oscillating between that and pumkin muffins with cheesecake and streusel, the populace spoke and the swiss roll won hands down.
Here's a mantra that I would recite while I fix these "Even if it looks like I'm screwing up, I'm not - it's going to be fabulous!" And it will be. Take it from me because there were times throughout the process that I kept thinking - "no way it's supposed to look like this" or " how come mine doesn't look all smooth & flat? " but in the end, it matters not! All said and done, they look fab, they taste fab, you'll get rave reviews and honestly, what else is there?
Now before I bury myself in the general mayhem of grocery list making, menu planning and cooking that is going to take over everything this coming week, I leave you and yours with my warmest wishes ~
Thanksgiving
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
So here we go - pumpkin swiss roll, inspired by the recipe on the back of the 'Libby's pumpkin' can and wildly tweaked for the better.
Gather the ingredients -
Pumpkin roll - all-purpose flour, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin spice, pure vanilla extract, pure almond emulsion (so much better than extract!), salt, Libby's 100% pure pumpkin puree and NOT pie filling, granulated sugar, pecans or walnuts (optional), powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
Filling - 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature, powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, softened, pure vanilla extract, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon & ground cardamom and extra powdered sugar for decoration.
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with parchment paper. Generously grease with non-stick baking spray .
Also use a a thin, cotton kitchen towel for this recipe. Since all mine are terry-cloth ones, I am using an old cotton sarong that has seen better days and cut a piece of it to use.
In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt.
In a food processor or using a hand immersion blender stick with a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick.
Beat in the pumpkin, pure vanilla extract and almond emulsion or almond extract.
With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture in 2-3 batches making sure that the batter is smooth and combined. Do not over mix.
Spread evenly into prepared parchment lined jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 13-15 minutes. If using a dark colored pan, check after 11 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Immediately loosen and turn cake onto the cotton kitchen towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. The sugared side of the cake should now be face down on the kitchen towel.
Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end (shorter side). Cool on a wire rack. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients. With a whisk or a hand immersion blender stick, whisk the ingredients till they are smooth and thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasonings and sugar for sweetness.
Gently unroll the cake and set aside the kitchen towel. Place the cake on a clean surface such as a mat or cutting board.
With a rubber spatula, spread all of the filling as evenly as possible all over the cake. Maintain a 1/2" border all around if possible to minimize oozing.
Beginning at the shortest end, tightly reroll the cake. Don't worry about how it looks now, it will be fine during the final presentation.
Wipe off or eat away any excess oozing filling (yumm...)
Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 2-3 hours.
Just before Serving -
Cut off about 1-1/2" from both ends because the edges may be uneven and look a bit rough and don't make a nice presentation. These bits are however excellent for Chef's & family tasting...smiles...
Cut the remainder of the roll into 1/2" thick slices and place on a platter. Leave some of the swiss roll as a log to make a pretty presentation.
Place some powdered sugar in a sieve and lightly dust the swiss roll.
Serve immediately.
I cannot emphasize enough what a stellar presentation this dessert makes at the holiday table. Deviously simple to make and yet it presents like we've been slaving endlessly at a hot oven.
The flavors entice and seduce from the spongy light pumpkin and spice cake to the Oh so! creamy and spiced flavor infused filling. Needless to say, this was gobbled up at lightening speed by grown-ups and kids alike!
Make Ahead Tips -
This roll freezes really well. You can make 2-3 rolls, coat them with powdered sugar, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze. Remove the number of rolls required from the freezer, thaw it for about 20 minutes, cut off both ends because the edges alaways look a bit rough and don't make a nice presentation (excellent for Chef's tasting)
Coat with additional powdered sugar, re-wrap it with new plastic wrap and foil and freeze it again.
Recipe for
Pumpkin, Cream Cheese & Cardamom Swiss Roll
Preparation time - 20 minutes
Baking time- 15 minutes
Chilling time - 2-3 hours to Overnight
Serves 6-8
Shopping list
Pumpkin roll -
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp pure almond emulsion or extract
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree and NOT pie filling
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/3 cup
powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
Filling -
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
6 tbs butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1-2 tbs extra powdered sugar for decoration.
Method -
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with parchment paper. Generously grease with non-stick baking spray .
Also use a a thin, cotton kitchen towel for this recipe. Since all mine are terry-cloth ones, I am using an old cotton sarong that has seen better days and cut a piece of it to use.
In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt.
In a food processor or using a hand immersion blender stick with a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick.
Beat in the pumpkin, pure vanilla extract and almond emulsion or almond extract.
With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture in 2-3 batches making sure that the batter is smooth and combined. Do not over mix.
Spread evenly into prepared parchment lined jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 13-15 minutes. If using a dark colored pan, check after 11 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Allow the cake to cool for about 5 minutes. Generously slather 1/3 cup powdered sugar all over the cake.
Immediately loosen and turn cake onto the cotton kitchen towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. The sugared side of the cake should now be face down on the kitchen towel.
Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on a wire rack. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients. With a whisk or a hand immersion blender stick, whisk the ingredients till they are smooth and thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasonings and sugar for sweetness.
Gently unroll the cake and set aside the kitchen towel. Place the cake on a clean surface such as a mat or cutting board.
With a rubber spatula, spread all of the filling as evenly as possible all over the cake. Maintain a 1/2" border all around if possible to minimize oozing.
Beginning at the shortest end, tightly reroll the cake. Don't worry about how it looks now, it will be fineduring the final presentation.
Wipe off or eat away any excess oozing filling (yumm...)
Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 2-3 hours.
Just before Serving -
Cut off about 1-1/2" from both ends because the edges may be uneven and look a bit rough and don't make a nice presentation. These bits are however excellent for Chef's & family tasting...smiles...
Cut the remainder of the roll into 1/2" thick slices and place on a platter. Leave some of the swiss roll as a log to make a pretty presentation.
Place some powdered sugar in a sieve and lightly dust the swiss roll.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Make Ahead Tips -
This roll freezes really well. You can make 2-3 rolls, coat them with powdered sugar, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze. Remove the number of rolls required from the freezer, thaw it for about 20 minutes, cut off both ends because the edges alaways look a bit rough and don't make a nice presentation (excellent for Chef's tasting)
Coat with additional powdered sugar, re-wrap it with new plastic wrap and foil and freeze it again.
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