If You're Happy & You Know it

I have been making these babies all night! I am in charge(along with my sister, Amber)of bringing desserts & Sodas to our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow! We are also making a few to give to our neighbors. Quick story. I made these for our neighbors the 1st Thanksgiving after they had moved into the neighborhood. I saw the wife of this family a few days later & she told me that she loved the pumpkin roll so much that she had eaten the entire thing herself. When her husband had inquired as to where the rest of the pumpkin roll was, she told him that she had to throw it away because the ants had gotten to it! He bought the story & we laughed. I made them two rolls the next year-LOL!

I pulled this recipe on of All Recipes.com last year. I was too embarrassed to call my friend Michelle & ask for the recipe AGAIN. I could not keep track of the recipe that she has shared with me several years in a row :). I think this one is very similar to hers. it has become a family favorite.

Pumpkin Roll
3 eggs
1 c. white sugar
2/3 c. solid pack pumpkin puree
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 c. chopped pecans
confectioner's sugar for dusting

1(8oz.) pkg. cream cheese
4 tbsp. butter
1 c. confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 x 15 in. jellyroll pan.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high for 5 minutes. Gradually mix in pumpkin & lemon juice. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle pecans over the top of batter.

3. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the center springs back when touched. Loosen edges with a knife. Turn out on two dish towels that have been dusted with confectioner's sugar. Roll up cake using towels and let cool for about 20 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, 1 c. confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Unroll pumpkin cake when cool, spread with filling, and roll up. Place pumpkin roll on a long sheet of waxed paper and dust with confectioner's sugar. Wrap cake in waxed paper and twist ends of waxed paper like a candy wrapper. Refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled; before slicing, dust with confectioner's sugar.

Here are a few adjustments I make to the recipe!
* I leave out the lemon juice & pecans(some family members do not like nuts).
* Instead of rolling cake in dish towels, you can use aluminium foil. Grease foil & dust with flour. Works great!

Enjoy! Happy turkey day to each one of you!