To offset the “bitterness” of Cheshvan — a Hebrew month without religious holidays that begins with Rosh Hodesh on Thursday, Oct. 23 — I like foods that mix savory with sweet.
In the Frozen Spiced Pumpkin Cake Roll, tangy cream cheese complements the sweet or salted caramel sauce.
Cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar give the Spiced Egg and Onion Strudel a hint of sweetness. It makes a great appetizer or a brunch or lunch entrée.
Both use pumpkin pie spice mix. To make your own, combine four parts ground cinnamon, two parts ground ginger, one part ground nutmeg and one part ground allspice.
Frozen Spiced Pumpkin Cake Roll
Serves 8
oil for greasing
1⁄3 cup flour plus extra for pan
1⁄3 cup plain pumpkin purée
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mix, divided
1⁄8 tsp. ground cloves
5 egg whites
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄3 cup brown sugar
1⁄3 cup cornstarch
1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar, divided
8 oz. whipped cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbs. milk
3⁄4 cup caramel sauce, divided
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking tray. Line with parchment paper. Grease and lightly flour paper.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, vanilla, 1 tsp. spice mix and cloves. Beat egg whites, salt and brown sugar in electric mixer until whites are stiff but still moist. Gently mix cup of egg whites with pumpkin, repeating until all combined. Sift flour and cornstarch over pumpkin. Gently mix. Spread evenly in pan. Bake 10 minutes until golden.
Spread out dishtowel, sprinkle with 3 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar. Invert cake on top, peel off paper. Starting from the long end, roll cake in towel. Leave 1 minute. Unroll. Wait 3 minutes. Roll again in towel. Leave rolled until completely cool.
Beat cream cheese, 3 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar, milk, and 1 tsp. spice mix until smooth. Unroll cake. Spread on top, leaving a 1⁄2-inch margin. Spread with 1⁄2 cup caramel sauce.
Roll cake from long end. Place seam down on greased tray. Cover and freeze. Wrap roll airtight. Keep frozen. To serve, sprinkle with 2 Tbs. of confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon; slice and drizzle with caramel sauce.
Spiced Egg and Onion Strudel
Makes 8 slices
6-8 Tbs. olive oil, divided
2 cups onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mix
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbs. ground cinnamon, divided
3⁄4 cup blanched, slivered almonds
8 eggs, beaten
1⁄2 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 sheets of phyllo dough, defrosted
2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking tray with oil. Place parchment paper on top. Grease.
In a 10-inch skillet, heat 2 Tbs. oil over low heat. Add onions and 1⁄2 tsp. salt. Sauté until onions are very soft and brown. Stir in 1⁄2 tsp. black pepper, spice mix, cumin, 2 tsp. cinnamon and 1⁄2 cup almonds. Remove to bowl. Immediately scramble eggs in same pan with red pepper and remaining salt and pepper until soft curds form. Mix with onions.
Finely chop remaining almonds. Lay out sheet of phyllo. Brush with oil, top with second and third sheets, brushing each with oil. Top with fourth. Sprinkle chopped almonds 2 inches from the long edge in a line 3 inches wide. Mound filling over almonds. Roll tightly from long edge. Place strudel in pan seam down. Score top into 8 sections. Brush with oil. Bake 45 minutes until golden. Before serving, sprinkle with sugar and remaining cinnamon. Slice.
Faith Kramer is a Bay Area food writer. Her columns alternate with those of Josie A.G. Shapiro. Faith blogs her food at www.clickblogappetit.com. Contact her at [email protected].