Pumpkin Roll

I discovered this recipe on the inside of my can of Libby's pumpkin!  It is pretty as well as easy!

A beautiful, edible decoration! 

Cake
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)


Filling
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 box powdered sugar, sifted
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
2. COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
3. BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
4. BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Hint: 
When you make this dessert, you will have leftover pumpkin as well as frosting.  Use the leftovers to make Pumpkin Cream Muffins!  They are delicious!
http://clharding.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-cream-muffins.html

Pumpkin Cream Muffins

This recipe was passed to me from a lady in our church.  She knows how much I love pumpkin and thought I would enjoy these.  They are incredible!!!  As a side note... I had made a pumpkin roll earlier in the week and had frosting left over; so I decided to top them with a dollop of cream cheese frosting as an added bonus.  However, these muffins are delicious without frosting!

1 pkg. spice cake mix

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1   egg

 

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
PREPARE cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix and pumpkin; mix well. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.
BEAT cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in sugar and egg; spoon over batter.
BAKE 18 to 21 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Hint:
1.  I did not have a spice cake mix on hand and decided to use a yellow cake mix instead.  To add the "spice" into the batter, I added 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1 tsp. vanilla. 

2.  I filled the recommended 24 muffin cups, but the muffins rose too high and it took much longer to cook.  You should line 30 muffin cups or use the leftover batter (after your 24) to make a mini loaf. 

3.  You can make this at the same time you make a pumpkin roll.  Between these two recipes you will use the whole can of pumpkin and frosting!  Then you'll have 2 desserts!  Desserts are always better when shared with a friend. 

Sweet Potato Crunch

Sweet potato recipes rate among my favorite.  And this recipe is one I look forward to eating every year on Thanksgiving!  I double this recipe and take it, along with dressing, to our family Thanksgiving lunch each year.  I hope you will enjoy this as much as we do!

3 c. baked sweet potatoes (See recipe below.)
1 c. sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 c. evaporated milk (Or regular, if you prefer.)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 c. chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with no stick cooking spray.  Mash sweet potatoes in an electric mixer.  Add sugar, melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix until thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared dish.  Sprinkle yellow cake mix on top of sweet potatoes.  Drizzle melted butter on top of cake mix.  Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.  (If you choose to use pecans, mix your cake mix and pecans in a gallon size Ziploc bag before sprinkling over sweet potatoes.)

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes
butter
cinnamon sugar
aluminum foil

Scrub sweet potatoes under cold water to wash excess dirt.  Dry.  Poke holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork.  Rub outer skin of the sweet potato with butter.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over butter and wrap in foil.  Repeat until all potatoes are wrapped.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft when squeezed.  (The softer, the better!)  If using for the sweet potato crunch, unwrap and allow to cool.   

Hint:  These baked sweet potatoes are delicious when served alone!  You can slice them open and top with honey butter, marshmallows, cinnamon sugar, or brown sugar for an added sweet taste.  (If you choose to top with marshmallows, toss them back in the oven for 10 min. or until marshmallows brown. 

The above recipe will use approximately 6 sweet potatoes.  After baking and cooling, they should be peeled before mashing.

Dressing

It's almost time for Thanksgiving, and that means Turkey and Dressing!  My Granny Griffin taught me how to make this southern dish; and over the past several years, it has been my one of my contributions when we go to visit our family on Thanksgiving day. 

Cornbread (I buy Martha White cornmeal and make the traditional recipe in a cast iron skillet.)
7 slices white bread, toasted on both sides
1 sleeve saltine crackers
1 stick butter
2 c. celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
Turkey parts  (for stock... see instructions below)
7 c. turkey stock (You could supplement this with store bought chicken stock.  If you choose to do this, you won't need the turkey parts.)
salt & pepper to taste
5 eggs, beaten  (My Granny boils these and chops them before adding.  However, I do not like boiled eggs and choose to add them this way.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, crumbled white bread, and crumbled crackers.  Set aside. 
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent.  Pour the celery and onions over the cornbread mixture.  Add the stock, mix well.  Taste and add salt & pepper to taste.  Add beaten eggs and mix well.  Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake about 45 minutes or until cooked through.  Serve with turkey!

Turkey Broth
turkey parts (I prefer turkey wings or legs.)
8-10 c. water
season salt, pepper to taste
1/2 stick butter

In a large pot, bring the turkey and seasonings to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium high and boil until turkey is cooked.  (About 30-40 minutes.)  Reserve the broth for dressing.  Dressing calls for 7 cups of broth, but I always reserve the leftover broth just in case my dressing is not as juicy as I'd like for it to be before baking.  I do not like a dry dressing!  Also... I like to de-bone the turkey wings or legs and add some of the meat to my dressing.  If you prefer not to add to dressing, you'll have a nice snack to eat while cooking! 

Tips:
I make this dish ahead of time (leaving out the eggs) and keep in the fridge until time to bake.  (This is when the extra broth can be helpful.  Sometimes the breads soak in the allowed 7 cups and more is needed.)  If you choose to do this, allow the dressing to stand for about 1 hour at room temperature before adding the eggs and or remaining broth.  Then bake and enjoy!