Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin is truly an amazing food to incorporate into sweet and savory dishes but I love the sweet ones for sure.  I have had this recipe in my recipe box for a very long time and never tried until now. It's definitely going in my favorites list because I kept cutting thicker and thicker slices for myself.  I had never made a sponge cake like this and it was soooo easy and actually really fun to make.   It's a little different consistency from a pumpkin bar but the inside cream cheese spread makes it sure feel like the same thing. I just love how this little treat has a truly different little "twist" on a great pumpkin dessert.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree

1 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar/icing sugar

8 oz cream cheese

4 Tbsp butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:

Beat three eggs until frothy - about 5 minutes.

Next add sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Then add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.  Mix well again.

Prepare a 12x17" jelly roll pan by spraying it with cooking oil spray, lined with waxed paper/parchment paper and then sprayed again with spray.

Pour batter into prepared jelly roll pan.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Turn out on cotton tea towel.

Remove waxed/parchment paper.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar (icing sugar).

Roll the cake and towel together and let cool.

Mix together icing spread.

When cooled, unroll cake and spread the icing evenly over the cake.

Roll the cake back up (without the towel) and wrap outside of the roll in waxed paper.

Then wrap again with foil before placing in the freezer for couple hours to chill very well.  Freezing the roll I feel is truly optional as the cake tastes great at fridge temp or a bit frozen.

Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

My family loves granola bars so I wondered about making them myself.  I found this recipe and I'm sure there are loads of variations you can put together with what you add in but I think this is a great base.  I started out with plain chocolate chip granola bars as the original recipe called for 2 cups of mini chocolate chips, but it they were really chocolaty which is great but probably not super healthy. Next time I am going to mix it up with different nuts, rice crispy cereal, dried fruit.  In my 9x13 inch pan I cut up 18 individual bars that were about 1" thick.  You can always use a 12x17 inch jelly roll pan to make about 28 bars that are 1 1/2x4" and thinner like the "store bought" bars but be sure to cut the cooking time down to about 12-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups rolled oats (or 4 cups oats and 1/2 cup rice crispy cereal)

1 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1-2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips/dried fruit/nuts

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch pan.

In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda.

Add in vanilla, butter or margarine, honey and brown sugar.

Stir in the 2 cups assorted chocolate chips, raisins, nuts etc.

Lightly press mixture into the prepared pan. 

Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. 

Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars. 

Let bars cool completely in pan before removing or serving.  

I wrapped my granola bars with a bit of waxed paper and then placed them in a large plastic baggie. But you could wrap them in plastic wrap as well (I just thought the waxed paper was easier to cut up). I kept them all in a baggie in the freezer and took bars out as I needed them and let them defrost before eating.

Sarah's Simple Pavlova

If you haven't heard of this dish before, you are missing out. This Aussie native dessert was first introduced to me by my lovely British neighbor and friend, Sarah, and it has been a hit every time I make it. I mean who doesn't love meringue covered with whipped cream and fruit?!! The crazy thing is that it is so super easy to make and has the most simple list of ingredients. One heed of warning...pavlovas are super sensitive to high heats and humidity so if things don't work out so well in the heat of the summer, that could be a reason why (my friend in Singapore can attest to this problem on a daily basis). But if it doesn't work out, no worries mate, you can crush the whole thing up and make Etton Mess out of it (see below)!

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1 cup of castor sugar (8 oz/250 g)

2 cups whipped cream or Cool Whip

fresh fruit of your choice

Method:

Preheat oven to 250 F/120 C.

place egg whites in small bowl

Beat with electric mixer on high speed for about 1 minute or until soft peaks form.

Gradually add sugar a tablespoon at a time beating the mixture each time to ensure sugar is completely dissolved before adding the next spoonful. (If you are in a little bit of a hurry you can dump it in a little quicker). Mixture should be thick and glossy when you are done adding the sugar.

Lightly grease an oven tray. (You can use baking parchment paper on top of your tray as well). Sprinkle the tray with a little flour and shake away the excess flour. Scrap the meringue onto the tray.

Spread it out into a thick circle on the tray/parchment using a spatula and level the top. I leave it about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Bake in the oven for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until it feels crisp and dry. Turn the oven off and leave the door ajar to cool the pavlova for about an hour. (Even if it cracks - don't worry!!!)

Cover it with the whipped cream/Cool Whip.

Then top it with fruit. (No one sees the cracks and if it does crack it looks cool)

Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Etton Mess:

If you pavlova really is a mess and completely breaks up, just make Etton Mess. Add about 2 cups of the fruit to about 4 cups of whipped cream/Cool Whip and fold in well. Just before serving, crush up the meringue and dump into the fruit/cream mixture. Fold in and serve.

Pumpkin Pie w/ Strudel Topping

I have been working so hard over the past couple of years to make the ultimate pumpkin pie. I have failed so many times, but you don't learn anything if you don't mess up. I use the classic Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe straight off the can, but I think I have finally found a technique that isn't hard to do and keeps the crust nice and crispy without burning. Also found a marvelous variation to the average pumpkin pie by adding a strudel topping to it.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 can solid packed pumpkin (425g/2 cups)

6 oz granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup evaporated milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 425F/220C.

Roll out pastry to line a 9-inch, deep pie plate. (Fold in quarters and lay in pie plate, then unfold. Trim to size.

Create a fun edge by squeezing the edge with your finger and thumb or pressing with a fork.

Using a fork, poke the bottom of the crust several times.

Next cover the crust with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Bake the crust blind at 425 F for 10 minutes. Take crust out. Reduce heat to 350 F/180 C.

Combine filling ingredients together.

Before pouring mixture in pastry case, set the pie plate on a moderate sized piece of aluminum foil. Fold the edges up lightly around the top edge of the crust to protect it.

Pour in pie mixture into pastry case and carefully put it in the oven. It is best to pull out the oven tray and carefully place the foil wrapped pie plate down on the rack with both hands keeping it level and steady.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Strudel Topping Variation:

Streusel Ingredients:
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup unsifted flour
¼ cup margarine
¼ cup nuts (optional)

While pie is cooking, combine brown sugar and flour in small bowl. Cut margarine in until crumbly. Stir in nuts. After the 30 minutes of baking, sprinkle streusel on top of pie. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until knife inserted from edge comes out clean. Let cool. Serve with whipped cream or plain.

Pumpkin Pie Tartlets

I was getting to help demonstrate products at my Thanksgiving themed Pampered Chef party and I wanted to share a real taste of Thanksgiving with some of my British friends. We didn't have the time to make a full blown pumpkin pie, so I found and modified this recipe that I found online by Jordan Reimer. Of course they are not the conventional pumpkin pie but it's pretty darn close. I would say you could use a short crust pastry as well to have it taste a bit more like a real pie crust, but who am I to deny anyone puff pastry. Also the maple flavored whipped cream on top is just fab!

Ingredients:

2 sheets of puff pastry

Pie Filling:
1 can pumpkin (1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree)
1 1/2 cup half and half
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup packed brown sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 24-ct mini muffin pan.

Slightly thaw your sheet of puff pastry. Roll it out just a little bit.

Use round cutter (approx 2 " in diameter) to make circles. (Dip the end in flour to help keep it from sticking)

Lay the circles over each opening. Dip tart shaper in flour then press down on pastry to create a pie casing.

Whisk together pie filling ingredients and pour mixture into tart shells.

Bake for 20 minutes. Makes 48 mini pumpkin pies.

Maple Whipped Cream

1 cups whipping cream
2 Tbsp cup maple syrup

Whisk whipping cream until almost stiff. Add in maple syrup and continue to whisk until firm peaks form.

Top pies with whipped cream (I used the Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator).

S'mores Tarts

S'mores are definitely an American favorite for summer time campfires and the 4th of July, but I found this fun little recipe to make s'mores in a different way for anytime of the year. I actually made it for England's Bonfire Night which is celebrated on the 5th of November. They create huge bonfires in the fall time to remember an assassination attempt on the king. It is the only time of the year I could find big roasting marshmallows so I thought these would be perfect to make to celebrate this interesting British holiday.

Ingredients:

7 whole graham crackers (digestive biscuits) (1 cup/250 mL finely crushed)
1/4 cup (50 mL) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
6 tbsp (90 mL) butter, melted
4 bars (1.55 oz or 43 g each) milk chocolate candy, divided
12 large marshmallows

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place graham crackers into a large resealable plastic bag. Finely crush into crumbs using a rolling pin. Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and butter in bowl.

Using a small scoop, place scant scoop of crumb mixture in each cup of mini-muffin pan.

Press crumbs to form shallow cups with little wooden tart shaper. Bake 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling.

Meanwhile, break two of the candy bars into rectangles. Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup.

Cut marshmallows in half crosswise using kitchen shears dipped in cold water.

Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are just slightly softened.

Remove from oven to a cooling rack; cool 15 minutes. Carefully remove cups from pan. Cool completely.

Break remaining candy bars and place in glass bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute-11/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds.

Dip the top of each marshmallow in melted chocolate.

Turn top-side up and let stand 40 minutes-1 hour or until set.

For a little extra fun you could sprinkle colored candies on top while the chocolate is still soft.

Yield: 24 cups