A Life, Lived

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll

Way back before COVID  hit (the before times) Paul and I used to always stop into the American grocery store Wegmans on our cross-border shopping trips. In the fall Wegmans sells an amazing pumpkin roll cake - something we had never seen of heard of back home. Moist pumpkin cake filled with a light cream cheese filling. Picking up a cake was something we always did.

Now that our cross-border shopping trips have been stymied I've been craving one of this cake. It is one of the few times that I have been disappointed that Canada doesn't go gaga over pumpkin flavoured things as much as the US does.

When I started searching for recipes online I discovered that the pumpkin cream cheese roil is a well-loved American treat and there are a bazillion recipes for it. YouTube is chock full of videos showing me how to roll the cake just so to prevent the disastrous crack. With options that complex I went to King Arthur Flour and printed a recipe off of their site.

The first thing I discovered was that I needed a new jelly roll pan - 10x15 inches. Apparently I had double jelly roll pans. Who knew?

Amazon came through and I was good to go.

But I put it off - intimidated by the process.

Yesterday I was determined to tackle this challenge. Turns out it was a lot easier than i was expecting.

This classic pumpkin roll recipe is made with a moist pumpkin sponge cake, rolled up with a fluffy cream cheese filling. We both loved it.

Now that I have had some success with rolled cakes I am thinking of tacking a Bouche de Noel at Christmas!

Enjoy.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll

3/4 cup (90g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (hard to find in Canada but I discovered that 'regular' AP flour works as well)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or a mixture of cloves, ginger, and allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (198g) sugar
2/3 cup (177g) pumpkin purée

Filling

one 8-ounce package (227g) cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons (85g) butter, softened
1 cup (113g) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease and line a standard 10" x 15" or 9 1/2" x 14" jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick, fluffy, and light in color. Beat in the pumpkin.

Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Bake the cake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove the cake from the oven, and allow it to cool in the pan for 2 minutes.

Loosen the edges with a knife or spatula. Lightly spray a second piece of parchment with non-stick vegetable oil spray and invert the cake onto the prepared second piece of parchment.

Using the two pieces of parchment, roll the cake up from the short end. Allow it to cool completely, wrapped in the parchment.

To make the filling: Mix the cream cheese and butter until well combined.

Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

To assemble the cake: Carefully unroll the cake and spread it with the filling.

Re-roll the filled cake with the filling inside, and place it seam-side down on a serving plate. Trim the ends for a clean appearance.

Dust with confectioners' sugar right before slicing and serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Mystery Solved

Now we know!!!!!

Travel Tuesdays - Gnome Road

On one of our recent walks in Bronte Creek Provincial Park we walked along Gnome Road.

This trail has grown over the years but really took off during the pandemic. All along the trail you'll spot an assortment of gnomes and their homes. They are up high, nestled in tree branches, they are down low, hidden in leaves. They are everywhere.

This is one of those spots where you want to really take your time and look - there is much to see that isn't obvious at a quick glance.

 

Life

I am becoming this person:

Life Lessons

I'm trying to re-learn this in retirement.

(seen on a walk in the neighbourhood . . .)

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Nothing beats light and fluffy pancakes for breakfast, and these have some added apple and spice! Apple Cinnamon Pancakes are a great way to start your day, and although they are full of autumnal flavour, they are perfect for any time of year.

Quick and easy to make, you'll have breakfast on the table in no time.

Enjoy.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

¼ cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded tart apple
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar

In a large bowl, combine butter, egg, milk and apple. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar. Stir flour mixture into apple mixture, just until combined.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Travel Tuesdays - the Berkshires

Now that the Canada/US border is reopening I've been thinking about short trips we could take. Of course the Berkshires came to mind . . .

Cat Problems

Cat owners will recognize this sort of a sneaky move . . .

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Shallots

My cooking last week was geared towards cleaning out as much from the fridge as I could in preparation for filling it with Thanksgiving food. I had green beans and mushrooms that were at risk of going funky. When I googled for a recipe this one came up. I was a bit skeptical but the developer, Ellie Kreiger, was a recipe developer I was familiar with and if Ellie said it was good then I was game to try it.

My skepticism was based upon the fact that there were so few ingredients - nothing to add layers of flavour other than the fresh veggies. At first I thought there was a misprint given the lack of herbs. Then I remembered that simple, fresh ingredients often yield the most flavourful dishes. Some of the reviews suggested adding garlic but I resisted. I figured if Ellie wanted garlic in there or felt it was necessary then she would have included it in the recipe!

Ellie knows her stuff. This was a delicious dish!

My cooking last week was geared towards cleaning out as much from the fridge as I could in preparation for filling it with Thanksgiving food. I had green beans and mushrooms that were at risk of going funky. When I googled for a recipe this one came up. I was a bit skeptical but the developer, Ellie Kreiger, was a recipe developer I was familiar with and if Ellie said it was good then I was game to try it.

My skepticism was based upon the fact that there were so few ingredients - nothing to add layers of flavour other than the fresh veggies. At first I thought there was a misprint given the lack of herbs. Then I remembered that simple, fresh ingredients often yield the most flavourful dishes. Some of the reviews suggested adding garlic but I resisted. I figured if Ellie wanted garlic in there or felt it was necessary then she would have included it in the recipe!

Ellie knows her stuff. This was a delicious dish!

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Shallots

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup sliced shallots (about 2 medium)
3/4 pound assorted fresh mushrooms, (ie: button, baby bella, shiitake, oyster, chanterelle), sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put green beans in a microwave-safe bowl with the water. Cover tightly and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Carefully remove the cover, drain in a colander, shaking off any excess water, and set aside.

While the beans are cooking, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water they release has evaporated and they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the green beans and stir to combine and rewarm. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Shallots

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup sliced shallots (about 2 medium)
3/4 pound assorted fresh mushrooms, (ie: button, baby bella, shiitake, oyster, chanterelle), sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put green beans in a microwave-safe bowl with the water. Cover tightly and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Carefully remove the cover, drain in a colander, shaking off any excess water, and set aside.

While the beans are cooking, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water they release has evaporated and they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the green beans and stir to combine and rewarm. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Travel Tuesdays - Berlin

9 years ago today we were in Berlin. We visited the Jewish museum designed by Daniel Libeskind, wandered the neighbourhood around Checkpoint Charlie, and had an amazing meal.