Pumpkin Roll

This cake looks very impressive and is very easy to make. It just takes a little time and PATIENCE. PATIENCE IS A MUST!! This cake is easy to take also. I leave mine rolled up until I get to where I am going and sift a little powder sugar on it when I get there. Give it a try, you won't be sorry.


Needed;

CAKE
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs (I use free range)
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup Pumpkin
FILLING
1 pkg. cream cheese-at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar-sifted
6 tablespoons butter-softened
1 t vanilla
Powdered sugar

CAKE;
Heat oven to 375°. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan, line with parchment paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Filling;

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla in small bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Re-roll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. I do this overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Hamburger Soup AKA Sean's Stew

This is one of my husband's favorite soups. It is really EASY and good! I cut cheese up and put in mine once it is in the bowl. I love cheese in EVERYTHING! We eat this with crispy cornbread. The funny thing is my husband's family calls this soup, "stew". So when we were first married I told him I was fixing "stew" for dinner. When he got home he was excited to eat "stew". When I dished it up he said "this is not stew." I was really confused by this. The difference in his and my family's stew is a big difference. I will post a recipe for my family's stew later this week. Here is his family's version.

Needed:
2 pounds ground chuck-browned with 1 onion-chopped
6 cans of Veg-All canned veggies
2 cans of whole kernel corn
2 t garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cans tomato soup-concentrate
1 quart of water

Once browned add canned veggies, tomato soup, garlic, salt, pepper, and water. Stir. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Serve with cornbread.

Honey Drop Cookies

I received this recipe from a lady I went to school with. Her grandmother made these for her when she was a little girl. They are a soft cookie and are Raven's favorite. Be careful not to bake too long or these will burn easily. It is so sad to have cookies burn and you don't have anymore honey in the house and you have to go to town in the dark to locate honey. Hey wait a minute I was thinking back and got carried away. You know what I mean don't you??? Just be sure to rotate your pans and you should be fine.

Needed;

2/3 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 cup honey

Cream until light and fluffy.

Add:

2 eggs (not beaten)
1 t vanilla

Beat with above.

Add:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt

Mix with above.

Add:
1 package chocolate chips

Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake about 6 minutes on lower rack, then move to upper rack for 4-6 minutes or until light and golden. These are so good with milk!

Granny West’s Ginger Snap Cookies

These were my Grandpa West’s favorite cookies. Granny made them for him each winter. She would save bacon grease for this recipe. Yes, I said bacon grease. I like them much better made with bacon grease but you can use shortening. I would say make them first with bacon grease and you will not want to use anything else. They just melt in your mouth when you eat them.

Needed;
1-cup bacon grease or Braum's Butter
2 eggs
6 T Molasses
1 ½ cup sugar
2 ¼ baking soda
3 cups Shawnee Mills flour
1 ½ t cinnamon
1 ½ t ginger

Preheat oven to 350’.

Cream bacon grease, sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy. Add rest of ingredients. Mix until smooth. Form dough, and place into fridge for 1 hour. When chilled roll into 1 inch balls and then roll balls into sugar. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. These don’t spread a lot. I bake mine 3 wide just to be safe. Bake for10 minutes. They will look soft when you take them out but they will crisp up as they cool. These are so good with hot tea! Must go make tea now.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

I had never tried this recipe and was so glad when I did. Not sure where I got this one but it sure is tasty! I had to stop myself before I ate them all. If I had used them with butter cream I would have been in T-R-O-U-B-L-E. They are soft but crispy too. My husband likes sanding sugar on them and that is how I made these. I will make them again with royal and butter cream icing for gift baskets. Here is the recipe. You better try it sooner than I did.

Needed;
8 oz. Of cream cheese
1 cup butter
1-½ cups of sugar
2 t. really good vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
½ t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350’. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl and mix until creamy. I use my Kitchen Aid because it is easier and faster for me. Add flour and soda mix well. Cover and place in fridge for 1 hour.

Roll dough ¼ inch thick. Cut into desired shapes.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. They will be soft and crisp up as they cool, so don’t over bake.

Ice with butter cream or royal icing. You can also sprinkle sugar on cut out shapes before baking. They are so good!

Holiday Cookie Party

I really like to make cookies. I also like to eat cookies. Not so good... Our homeschool group is having a Holiday Cookie Party and I am hosting this event along with a my son's wonderful guitar instructor. I know I will make Sugar Cookies, and my Granny West's Ginger Snaps but what else should I make???? Let me think. I know! I will make Honey Drop Cookies. I got this recipe years ago from a lady I went to school with. They are one of Raven's favorite cookies too. Better get busy. I will post the recipes with pictures tomorrow.

Navy Beans

Have you ever wondered why Navy Beans are called Navy Beans??? Well in any case that is what's cookin tonight. We are having Navy beans with ham that is left over from Thanksgiving, fried potatoes and sweet cornbread. Sounds good to me. It snowed here on Beaty's Creek this morning. It was such a pretty sight! We have all the Christmas decorations up and ready for Santa. Need to do a little decorating outside still. Oh, I almost forgot to give you the recipe for the beans. Here it is...

2 lbs washed and sorted Navy Beans
salt to taste
2 quarts of water
Ham bone with ham still on it

After you have rinsed and sorted your beans add to a large chili pot. Pour in your water and add salt. Bring to a hard boil for 1 1/2 hours. Turn down heat to a simmer for 2 hours longer. Beans will be ready to eat. We like ours with a gravy like sauce but not mushy. Make sense? If you like your beans more soupy than thick add more water. We are having ours with fried potatoes and sweet cornbread. Give it a try.