Can you believe that it’s October already? It feels like this year is just flying by, and just as the pollination season is coming to a close, so is our Pollinating Your Entire Menu blog series. But fear not, we’re wrapping up this campaign with a tasty fall-inspired dessert!
What started as a simple idea to solidify the relationship between honey and the bees that make it with the uniquely important role honey bees play as stewards of our global food supply, has blossomed into a truly delicious partnership. In case you haven’t been following this blog series from its launch in March, we had the wonderful opportunity to partner with long-term friend, full-time honey lover, and nutrition and fitness expert Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD, America’s Nutrition Expert® on a series of recipes that span your entire menu, focusing on whole food nutrition while highlighting honey bee-pollinated ingredients.
Last week we posted about honey bees and all of the wonderful fall foods they pollinate, and we even introduced our new Honey Bees Keep the Food World Buzzing pollination infographic that highlights the top 50 foods that are pollinated by honey bees, including the unofficial symbol of fall – the pumpkin. Last year we dedicated an entire post to the health benefits of pumpkins, which you can view here, but one of our favorite ways to enjoy pumpkin is in a classic fall favorite dessert – the pumpkin log.
There’s nothing quite like the comfort of a soft pastry with a creamy filling, and this Honey Pumpkin Log has that and more in spades! In addition to popular produce, like apples and pumpkins, honey bees pollinate a variety of herbs and spices, like the vanilla and cinnamon in this honey-inspired twist on a seasonal classic. Not only that, honey bees also play a vital role in the production of meat and dairy, which depend on bees to pollinate livestock feed crops, like alfalfa, meaning that we can also thank them for the cream cheese and butter that make this dish so comforting and delicious!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup - all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. - baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. - baking powder
- 2 tsp. - pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp. - cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. - salt
- 3 - eggs
- 1 tsp. - vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup - honey
- 1/2 cup - sugar
- 2/3 cup - pumpkin puree
For Cream Cheese Filling:
- 1 (8 oz.) - package of cream cheese
- 6 T - unsalted butter, room temp.
- 1 tsp. - vanilla extract
- 2 T - honey
- 1 cup - powdered sugar, sifted
- pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º.
Line a 13x10 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper allowing 1 inch extra on the ends.
In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt.
In another mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar, then add honey and whisk well. Add the vanilla and pumpkin, lightly whisk until combined.
Now, fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula, stirring until just combined.
Spread batter evenly into the prepared jelly roll pan onto the parchment paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when poked into cake.
Once cake is baked, gently move parchment/cake to a flat surface. Slowly roll the cake on the short end until completely rolled up. Cool on a wire rack.
While cake is cooling, make your cream cheese filling.
In a mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together for 30 seconds. Add in the vanilla, honey, powdered sugar and salt. Mix about 30 seconds until creamy and smooth.
Once cake is cooled move it back to a flat surface and gently unroll the cake with the parchment paper side down. Gently spread filling evenly over cake while leaving a 1/2-inch border on sides. Slowly, re-roll the cake, peeling away parchment paper as you roll. Wrap the pumpkin log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
To serve, lightly dust with powdered sugar and cut into slices.
We hope that you have enjoyed this blog series as much as we have and that each of these recipes become a staple in your home. But more importantly, we hope that you come away with a deeper understanding of the value of honey bees and their work to keep our food world turning.