After a busy few weeks I’m ready to get back to posting and I have quite a few recipes stored up to share with you.

Let’s start with this one for some lovely, light and airy dinner rolls made a bit more nutritious with the addition of pumpkin. They add a nice bit of color to the dinner offerings with a turkey or ham dinner and they make a wonderful base for a sandwich for afters.

Here is a tip when rolling crescent rolls or croissants: make a small relief cut at the thick end of the wedge and that way you can roll them nicely and they will keep their shape a bit better.

And whilst they are raising cover them LOOSELY with plastic film so that it doesn’t adhere to the rolls and pull them out of shape…

Pumpkin Crescent Rolls (makes 16-18 rolls)

• 3-3/4 to 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 ounce (1 package) active dry yeast
• 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
• 2 ounces (1/2 stick- 1/8lb) butter
• 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin, fresh roasted or canned
• 1 egg
• melted butter to brush

Combine one cup of the flour along with the sugar, salt and yeast. Whisk to blend. Melt the butter and add the milk to warm to about 120F to 130F or very warm to the touch. Add the warmed milk- butter mixture to the flour mixture along with the pumpkin puree and the egg. Blend at low speed to mix then increase speed to medium and beat for a couple of minutes.  Lower speed and then add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, somewhat sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic- a couple of minutes.

Butter a large bowl and add the dough, turning to coat the top, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place, free of drafts for about an hour or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large round. Brush the round with melted butter. Cut with a pizza wheel or sharp knife into 16 to 18 wedges. Make a relief cut at the thick end and roll from the thick end to the thin end to make a crescent shape. Curve the outer ends in a bit to complete the crescent shape.  Place at least 2″ apart on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place to rise for about 40 minutes or until light and doubled in size. Preheat oven during last 20 minutes to 375F. Uncover dough and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to racks to cool. Brush with melted butter. Serve warm or room temperature.

Have a wonderful day!

xo