Pumpkin Roll

I got this recipe about 6 years ago from my friend Jodi who made this for a Christmas party. Though I was dubious, she told me that it was super-easy and anyone could make it. She was right!

 It just took me this long to finally buy the right size pan (10x15) to make it. I should have done it a long time ago.

I am going to post Jodi's recipe which was more spicy and has lemon juice (yum), but with some of the instructions from Libby's pumpkin which were a little more detailed.

Pumpkin Roll

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

sprinkle of salt

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. canned pumpkin

1 tsp. lemon juice

Filling:

1 c. powdered sugar

4 Tbsp soft butter (soft)

8 oz cream cheese (soft)

1/2 tsp vanilla

For Cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease (REALLY WELL) 15X10 inch jelly roll pan; line with wax paper (I didn't do that) Grease and flour paper (I didn't do that either, I just sprayed the pan with Baker's Joy) Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel (like a tea towel) with powdered sugar.

Combine dry ingredients, set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs with mixer for 5 minutes while gradually adding sugar and until thick. Beat in pumpkin and lemon juice. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake: 13-15 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched.  Immediately loosen the edges and turn it onto the prepared towel. Roll up cake and towel together starting at narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

For Filling: Beat all the filling ingredients together until smooth. Carefully unroll the COMPLETELY cooled cake, remove towel. Spread the filling over the cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving if desired. Slice and serve. 

Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast

This is from our pre-Thanksgiving dinner with Mom and Dad last week. I am a person with Turkey phobias, but I love my slow cooker. (I made a dessert in it last night that I will post about soon.)

I found simple instructions on a blog where the author used her slow-cooker every day for a year. Awesome! Here is the link to her post for pictures and her instructions. The only changes I made was that I used apple juice instead of white wine, I added two stalks of sliced celery because I like that in broth, and I sprinkled the breast with poultry seasoning.

We thought it was very moist and had a good seasoned flavor. I'll use this recipe again for sure.

Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker

4-6 lb Turkey Breast

2 cups apple juice (or broth)

1 stick butter

1 onion

Salt and Pepper

Poultry Seasoning

Unwrap thawed turkey breast, pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Place in crock pot, breast side down. (I used my 6 quart oval) Coarsely cut up the onion and place some into the cavity and some around the turkey. (Do the same with celery if you want) Place the stick of butter in the cavity. Pour the apple juice over it. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or high 4-6. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. (170 degrees) Remove from crockpot to serve.

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie

Mom and Dad gave me a few quarts of their homemade apple pie filling and I have been looking for good reasons to use it. When they came to visit I considered that a good reason.

So obviously for this recipe I just used a quart of pie filling which greatly simplified things, but I think the yumminess of this pie is in the crunchy topping with caramel. The other change I made was that I used walnuts instead of pecans and sprinkled them on before I baked them and they developed a great roasted flavor that way.

I got this off the Good Morning America website. It was the winner of the 2001 Apple Pie Contest.

Crunchy Carmel Apple Pie

For Pie:

pastry for single crust pie

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples

Crumb Topping:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup butter (room temp)

Final Topping:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1. Prepare pie dough as directed. Place in pie plate & crimp edge

2. In large mixing bowl stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, & salt

3. Add apple slices & gently toss until they are coated well

4. Transfer mixture to pie crust

5. For Crumb Topping; stir together brown sugar, flour, and oats

6. Cut in butter until the topping resembles coarse crumbs

7. Sprinkle over pie

8. Cover edges with foil

9. Bake in 375 degree oven for 25 minutes, remove foil, bake an additional 25-30 minutes

10. Remove from oven, sprinkle with nuts & drizzle with caramel

11. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

pecan-topped sweet potatoes

The picture really doesn't do this justice. Have I mentioned I have one 40 watt bulb in my kitchen to take pictures by? Ugh.

I had to put this on as a Thanksgiving recipe because it has become one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes. I never thought that I would want to save room for the sweet potatoes, or that I would eat them without the marshmallows. Even the kids like this. Cali liked it so much she wanted it as a family home evening treat. It really is more of a dessert, but once a year one should be able to enjoy a side-dish like this.

Pecan-Topped Sweet Potatoes

3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs, well beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup pecan pieces (I used walnuts because I have a walnut tree)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix the first six ingredients and place into a 2-quart casserole. Combine last four ingredients and sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until crispy.

(You can 1 1/2 times the recipe to make a 9x13 pan.)

Texas Sheet Cake

We had this for dessert on Sunday. I haven't had it in a few years. I LOVE THIS CAKE. I was thinking that really this is a recipe that every good cook should have in her arsenal because it is so good for potlucks and company. I copied this recipe from cooks.com.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE

2 c. sugar 2 c. flour 1 c. water 1/4 tsp. salt 3 1/2 tbsp. cocoa 1 c. butter (2 sticks) 1/2 c. buttermilk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. soda 2 eggs Sift sugar and flour together. Boil together the water, salt, cocoa and butter; pour into the sugar and flour mixture. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, soda and eggs; mix together well. Pour into greased cookie sheet with rim (17 x 11 x 1 inch). Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Ice with icing below. TEXAS SHEET CAKE ICING: 1/2 c. butter (1 stick) 3 1/2 tbsp. cocoa 6 tbsp. buttermilk 16 oz. powdered sugar 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 c. chopped nuts Boil well the butter, cocoa and buttermilk. Remove from heat and add sugar, vanilla and nuts. Spread on hot or warm cake.