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This article is a part of "The Amish Cook Column", a weekly series of featuring a story & recipe from Gloria Yoder, Amish wife & mother of six from Flat Rock, Illinois
Thanksgiving is rolling around, and Christmas is coming.
Plans are in the making. This year the children are all excited to spend Christmas with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents in Ohio. If we all gather at Grandpas’ large farmhouse, we fill it to the brim. Cooking for Daniel's family of 30 folks is no small task. I told my mother-in-law that we’ll all be pitching in and bring prepared dishes to lighten their load.
For us, Christmas meals and Thanksgiving feasts are a lot alike. With mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, stuffing (at least when my grandma planned it), a veggie, salad, sometimes a fruit salad, and pies or another sweet treat. Mmm, I can’t wait. This year I’d like to make cheesecakes for the holidays. We’ll see. My brainstorms are not always compatible with a mother’s schedules! My mom keeps encouraging that this stage will soon have vanished.
Thanksgiving plans aren’t all mapped out yet. Usually we gather with family or friends and spend the day together. When I was a young girl I used to always look forward to playing all sorts of board games in the afternoon. It doesn’t seem that long ago, yet in many aspects, I’ve come away from of what used to be life back then.
Thinking back I specifically remember one uncle who would spend time playing with us cousins. Now I realize that surely that must have taken sacrifice on his part to leave the circle of adults to play with us children. Thinking over it, I’m motivated to do more of the same.
Oh, that brings me to a thought shared by a dear sister-in-law, and it’s been a motto around the house ever since. Okay, here you go, “The more it’s NOT about you, the more you will love what you do.” It’s profound and it’s so true! The more serious I get about making the perfect plans and having the best holidays, the more my happiness is in jeopardy when things cross my path. Then if my goal is set on bringing joy to others and adding worth to their lives, by valuing them as individuals, things just fall into place so much better.
Two and a half weeks before Thanksgiving Grandpa set a goal for the children. He offered a prize to anyone who can recite the first 12 verses in Matthew 5 until Thanksgiving Day. We’ve been chanting verses on all sides. Hosanna, Jesse, and Elijah, ages 3, 4, and 5 are giving it a lick as well. The greater challenge for them is having Dutch as their primary language and not understanding all of what they’re memorizing. So besides learning the verses, we’ve also been talking more English around the house to hopefully aid in the process. We’ll see how it all comes together.
You will want to be sure to try these ultimate pumpkin rolls for your Thanksgiving table. The first time Daniel had them he was completely impressed. Now as a rule, we don’t eat sugar at our house, but this proved to be an exception. They are loaded with flavor and completely moist, perfect for any occasion.
These pumpkin rolls are made each week at my uncles store where they sell like crazy these autumn days.
Editor's Notes & Photos Of Amazing Amish Pumpkin Roll
Desserts and Thanksgiving supper go hand in hand. And at the gatherings I attend, there are usually so many different kinds of desserts: usually pie. You have to have pie. Almost always pumpkin. Then there are usually some more offbeat desserts or perhaps instead of pumpkin pie, you have a twist on tradition, like this amazing Amish pumpkin roll. I have had these before and, wow, they are so good. I like mine chilled and sliced and you get this cold pumpkin-cake with amazing cool, creamy filling inside. Pumpkin rolls are so, so superb and they are a tradition in many Amish homes around Thanksgiving!
In many ways, this is like a deconstructed and rolled up pumpkin pie. Many of the ingredients for the pumpkin roll are ones you use for pumpkin pie.
This is the cake part of the Amazing Amish Pumpkin Roll being mixed up and, yes, use an electric mixer or stand mixer to do the job. I mean, you can use a wooden spoon. Most Amish cooks would just use a wooden spoon and a metal bowl, but for speed's sake and convenience, feel free to use your technological tools to whip and beat!
Same thing for the filling, use an electric mixer and mix it until you get this perfect, smooth consistency, you want it to be just right...not too thick, and definitely not too thin.
Dust the Amazing Amish Pumpkin Roll with powdered sugar for an even sweeter effect! And, true to Amish tradition, this recipe is pretty bland in terms of spices, I mean, if you wanted to add some pumpkin pie spice, cloves, ginger, or even a pinch of cayenne pepper to the roll part, feel free!
🎃 Amazing Amish Pumpkin Roll
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 scant cup pumpkin
- 1 ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup flour
Filling:
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
📋 Instructions
- Beat egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, set aside.
- Mix up remaining ingredients then last fold in egg whites.
- Place parchment paper on cookie sheet and liberally grease with butter or non-stick spray.
- Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until done.
- Whip all together and spread evenly on cooled cake.
- Roll carefully, starting at narrow side of cake.
- Chill, cut in one inch slices.
- Serve and enjoy!
🎃 More Amish Pumpkin Recipes
🖨️ Full Recipe
Amazing Amish Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 scant cup pumpkin
- 1 ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup flour
Filling
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ tablespoon s butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- For the cake/roll part: Beat egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eg gwhites until soft peaks form, set aside
- . Mix up remaining ingredients then last fold in egg whites.
- Place parchment paper on cookie sheet andliberally grease with butter or non-stick spray.
- Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until done.
Filling
- Whip all together andspread evenly on cooled cake.
- Roll carefully, starting at narrow side of cake.
- Chill, cut in one inch slices.
- Serve and enjoy
this dessert is really great/ Not at all difficult and gets lots of cheerful comments
Agreed, Brenda, it is a good one!