Happy Holidays!!!

For the holidays every year I make pumpkin roll. It has always been one of my favorites and since I discovered Eve's pumpkin roll recipe I have been a goner.

Eve, in case you are wondering, is a very real person and she also is famous for her pumpkin roll. I remember when I started at my first job and I was working around the holidays. I was working hard (haha) one day and all of sudden a buzz started around me... "The pumpkin roll- it's here!" "Eve's pumpkin roll is here!" "Pumpkin roll- where?". And the first bite of that roll made me a forever convert.... Fast forward a few years and Eve and I are working together and she gives me a pumpkin roll for Christmas and the RECIPE!!!! Thanks Eve!!

Soooooo I have been making her pumpkin roll ever since. I know that a pumpkin rolls sounds complicated but really it is a rather simple recipe. The key to making a pumpkin roll are the tools. A jelly roll pan is a must have as well as a large tea towel. Other than that- I bet you have everything you need to make it.

Here are the ingredients minus a few... such as powdered sugar and eggs.. and who knows what else I forgot to include in the photo... I always have been a touch flaky, but more on that later....

And yes Kroger brand cream cheese works great!! You will mix your pumpkin mixture by hand and spread it into a parchment paper lined jelly roll pan. And trust me the parchment paper is key- it really does help pull the roll out of the pan after baking.

After you spread the pumpkin mix in the pan and pop it in the oven, you can get your tea towel ready. Be sure to put plenty of powder sugar all over the towel so that the roll does not stick when you roll up the pumpkin mix in the towel.

This is what the baked and cooled pumpkin roll look like pre-roll part....

And this is where things get a little sketchy... I forgot to take pictures of the process where you roll the roll (haha roll the roll) in the towel- insert flaky moment here. But to clarify- I gently pull my roll from the pan after it has cooled for 15 minutes (this is where the parchment paper helps) and place the roll top side down on the sugared towel. I then carefully peel the parchment paper off and starting at one end, begin rolling the roll in the towel. I think I almost needed to take a video to explain this process, but as I have not yet seen an Iphone tripod, we are out of luck. Once the roll is in the towel I let is rest and cool some more.

I then prepare the cream cheese filling. The filling is simple as well and can be mixed by hand or with a hand mixer. Once the roll has cooled in the towel, then it can be gently unrolled. You will then spread the cream cheese filling over the roll. Since the roll has cooled in the rolled up position, it will then easily roll back up with the filling inside.

Here is a picture of the completed roll. I then refrigerate mine until ready to serve For some reason I like mine a little chilled and I actually find that it is easier to slice when chilled as the roll holds it shape better, but I think most people prefer to eat their roll at room temperature.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas Everyone (or all one or two of my readers! lol)

Marci

(recipe below)

Eve's Pumpkin Roll

ingredients:

2 eggs

2/3 cup pumpkin or half of 15 ounce can of pumpkin

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp soda

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup all purpose flour

Other tools:

parchment paper

jelly roll pan

combine pumpkin, eggs and sugar and stir together till well combined. Add dry ingredients (baking soda, cinnamon and flour). Stir till all combined well. Then spread in parchment lined jelly roll pan. A hint- spray the bottom of the pan and the parchment paper will stick beautifully. I also do a small spray of cooking spray on top of the parchment in case...

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Cool the roll in the pan for 15 minutes. Then dump roll on powdered (sugar) towel and roll up and cool for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make your cream cheese filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbs butter (softened)

1 8oz cream cheese (softened)

1 tsp vanilla.

Blend all ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Unroll your pumpkin roll and spread filling over roll and carefully roll back up.

*** Thank you EVE for the best pumpkin roll recipe EVER!!!