What’s Cookin’ in the Parsonage?

The 30’s Sunday school class had an Italian lunch after church yesterday. I brought a bowl of salad and a Pumpkin Roll. When I had my home baking business several years ago I made lots of pumpkin rolls at Thanksgiving and Christmas! They’re not hard to make and will turn out great if you follow a few pointers. I’ll share my technique and recipe with you…it’s no secret!

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin ( regular size can of pumpkin will yield 2 pumpkin rolls + about 1/2 cup extra for muffins!)
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1-2 Tbl. powdered sugar
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup marg or butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Line a 15 10 x 1″ jelly roll pan with waxed paper, then spray well with cooking spray; set aside. I do this instead of greasing and flouring the pan – I’ve found it comes out of the pan much easier.

Beat eggs in a large bowl at high speed of an electric mixer until thick; gradually add 1 cup sugar, and beat 5 additional minutes. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.

Combine flour and next 5 ingredients; gradually stir into pumpkin mixture. Spread batter evenly in pan; sprinkle with 1 cup nuts, gently pressing into batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 -15 minutes.

Sift 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar in a 15 x 10-inch rectangle on a cloth towel. When cake is done, immediately loosen from sides of pan, and turn out onto sugared towel. Starting at narrow end, roll up cake and towel together; cool completely on a wire rack, seam side down.

Beat Cream cheese and butter in a large bowl at high speed of an electric mixer; gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla, beating mixture until blended.

Unroll cake; spread with cream cheese mixture, and carefully reroll. Place cake on plate, seam side down. Garnish with whipped cream or pecans, if desired. Yield: 10 servings.

Here are pictures of each step:

Waxed paper-lined and sprayed jelly roll pan
I often mix up the dry ingredients at another time and mark them in a plastic bag so this process is quicker.

Batter is poured into prepared pan and sprinkled with nuts.

A sugared towel is ready for the baked cake.

Finished cake is flipped out onto towel

Gently pull waxed paper off of cake

Cake is rolled around the towel and allowed to cool completely before icing.

I usually make two rolls at a time. I can have the batter for the second one ready to pop into the oven in the time it takes the first one to bake.

The cooled cakes are frosted with cream cheese icing.

Cakes are rolled up then turned seam side down.

Sliced and ready to eat!

We were privileged to have some of our own missionaries, the Loescher’s, here on furlough this weekend. They serve in Cameroon, Africa and were coming here to visit our church and share about their work.

My husband had said we’d take them out to dinner when they arrived Saturday night, but I got up Saturday morning and knew I had things on hand with which I could make homemade soup. How much better to have them here in our home than try to visit in a restaurant! So I set to making chicken noodle soup using a chicken carcass I had from my roasting hen earlier in the week. I whipped up a batch of pumpkin muffins with the remains of the pumpkin from the rolls, and then decided to have a savory bread as well. A friend at church had shared a recipe for Parmesan Knots just last week, and they looked so easy I decided to give them a try.

Take a look:

It only requires canned buttermilk biscuits and a few ingredients to brush over the bread to make this recipe! I made only a portion of the recipe and they were all gone at the end of the meal! Thanks, Lora!

Parmesan Knots

1/2 c vegetable oil (I used Olive oil)

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 t dried parsley flakes

1 1/2 t dried oregano

1 t garlic powder

Dash black pepper

3 (12 oz) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

In a small bowl, combine oil, cheese, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Set aside. Cut each biscuit in half. (This would be a good appetizer size. I left mine whole for supper) Roll each portion into a 6-inch rope; tie in a loose knot. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake @ 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately brush with the Parmesan mixture. Serve warm or freeze for up to 2 months.

That was my cooking weekend. What’s been cooking your kitchen?

With love,