Its Pumpkin Time!

picture from www.verybestbaking.com

Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Pie

1 15 oz can of pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 slightly beaten eggs

3/4 cup half and half or milk

1 unbaked pie shell

In a bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the eggs. Gradually add the millk, stir until combined. Pour into pie shell or greased pie plate. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle the nut mixture on top. Bake for another 20 minutes.

Caramel Pecan Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Mix together the ingredients.

**I like to make my pumpkin pie crustless, I am not a fan of crust. Also my mother-in-law can't have gluten so this is perfect for her.

picture from www.verybestbaking.com

I made a pumpkin roll all by myself for the first time last Friday. It turned out beautifully. I did not add the nuts. Also my jelly roll pan is a little to long so I folded my parchment paper about an 1 1/2 on one end to shorten it. Then I placed butter knifes along the fold to keep the batter from over flowing my makeshift dam. For the filling I used fat free cream cheese and lowered the butter to 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons. Don't be intimidated it is actually very easy!

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

CAKE

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. 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.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Optional: sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Sprinkle cake with powdered sugar, roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

TIP: Sprinkle lots of powdered sugar on the towel and on top of cake before rolling up the cake so it will not stick to the towel.

FILLING
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.