pumpkin roll

My friend had a ton of frozen pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving she wanted to get rid of so we had a marathon baking session and busted out FOUR pumpkin rolls! I always avoided making any type of jelly roll; they seemed so difficult. Not at all! The hardest part is while rolling, worrying about whether the cake would break. We made a game of it, cheering "go! go! go!" while the other was carefully rolling.  But really it doesn't matter, broken or not it all still tastes the same in the end - delicious!

Pumpkin Roll
from Eat Live Run

3 eggs, room temp
1 c sugar
2/3 c pumpkin
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

for cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 T soft butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350. Beat the eggs and sugar together with a Kitchen Aid on maximum high speed for about ten minutes. When done, the mixture will be very thick and very, very pale. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and pumpkin and stir gently.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until combined.

Pour the cake batter onto a sheet tray (or jelly roll tray) that has been greased and lined with wax paper. Spread out the batter evenly and bake for fifteen minutes, or until golden.

Let cool on the pan for about ten minutes and start your frosting.

Whip the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed for three minutes or until creamy looking. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whip on high for another six to eight minutes. Set aside.

After you have cooled the cake for a few minutes, turn over the sheet pan and gently peel off the wax paper. Spoon the frosting on top of the cake and spread out. Starting at the far edge, roll up the cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

**this cake freezes beautifully, making it super easy to just cut off a frozen slice whenever you have the urge. Just be sure to wrap it completely in plastic wrap and then again in tin foil.

day 9 – a photo you took & Fun Fridays!

Day 9 – a photo you took is going to double as my fun friday for today! After seeing this sweet guest tutorial on Kevin & Amanda's blog I decided to make a few of my own.  I didn't realize she used plastic pumpkins, so I decorated some of the ones we picked up from the pumpkin patch.

Happy Friday!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My jeans may be bursting at the seams these days but hot dog, these were goooood!! Made the house smell scrumptious all morning long. These muffins have a nice spice to them and the chocolate chips just melt in your mouth.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
recipe from she's in the kitchen

1 15 oz. can pumpkin ( I use Libby's)

2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

4 large eggs

1/2 cup apple cider

3 1/2 cups flour

2 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

4 1/2 t. cinnamon

4 1/2 t. ginger

1 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. cloves

1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used 1 1/2 c), plus more for the tops

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin tins.

2. Place the pumpkin, brown sugar, and melted butter in mixer bowl and mix well.

3. Add the eggs and mix again, then add the cider.

4. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices and salt to the mixer bowl.

5. Mix on low until well blended, then add the chocolate chips and mix one more time.

6. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into muffin tins: for regular sized muffin tins and using a normal ice cream scoop, each muffin should be one scoop. Continue filling tins until all the batter is gone. Sprinkle one or two ( or three!) chocolate chips on top of each muffin.

7. Bake for around 25 minutes, or until tops are firm when gently pressed with your finger.

8. Remove to cool. After ten minutes, use a dull knife to edge out the muffins and let cool further on a cooling rack.