The Pumpkin Rolls story

Last updated on: March 5, 2016 at 10:23 pm by Jane the Actuary

The Pumpkin Rolls story 2016-03-05T22:23:57-06:00 Jane the Actuary

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

So we don’t have a lot of food traditions in my extended family, but one of them is pumpkin rolls at Thanksgiving — that’s always been my father’s contribution, while mom prepares the turkey and stuffing. And, while the turkey and stuffing has been abandoned for Honeybaked Turkey and Stovetop Stuffing, I’ve taken over the pumpkin roll-making.

Now, Dad had always used a recipe which he had typed up and put into his own recipe collection, but this past Thanksgiving, he couldn’t find this, so he pulled out the original source cookbook, the Women’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery, Volume 9, Pec – Pur, but wasn’t sure which recipe it was, the “pumpkin bread” or “pumpkin rolls.” I picked the pumpkin roll recipe, though it soon became apparent that it wasn’t the original recipe after all — the dough was wetter, more like a batter, and the recipe didn’t call for kneading. But it was still successful, and it was, in the end, better and easier than the original.

So after we returned home, I wanted to make this again, so I called my parents up and asked if they could dictate the recipe over the phone, but Dad reported that they had now misplaced that very cookbook volumne, so I figured that it was no big deal and I’d just ask again another time.

Fast forward to last weekend, when my husband and I were shopping at Ikea. Now, Ikea tends to use actual used books as part of their decor — and, there in the kitchen display, was the Pec – Pur volume, which I opened up to the Pumpkin Roll recipe and copied it onto the notepaper we had brought along, and made them for dinner tonight.

And so it is that I present to you: Women’s Day Pumpkin Rolls.

1/2 packet active dry yeast
1/4 cup water
1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup milk, scalded
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups flour (unsifted, all-purpose)

Combine the yeast and water (105 – 115 degrees) and let dissolve. Then combine, in a mixing bowl, the pumpkin, egg, butter, sugar, salt and milk. Cool to lukewarm. Add the yeast and flour. Let rise ’til doubled, shape into rolls, and let rise again (about 20 further minutes), then bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Notes: the dough is very wet — I added about 1/2 cup more dough than called for and it was still shaggy and somewhere in-between batter and dough. It also took more like 20 minutes rather than 15 — maybe because my rolls were larger than normal? (The 15 minutes was more than sufficient in my parents’ oven, so maybe my oven or theirs doesn’t heat to the proper temperature?)

Uncategorized

cooking/baking

recipes

Previous Post

December 29, 2013

Thinking through death, brain death, and euthanasia

Next Post

December 30, 2013 Gelato

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Actuarial/Retirement Issues Politics Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 December 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Satan" mean in Hebrew?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Adversary Evil One Deceiver Destroyer