A Journey to Ethiopia

Ever since my first taste of Ethiopian, I've wanted to try and recreate it.   Eaten with your hands, a spongy, sourdough flatbread (injera) is used to scoop up tasty dishes that get piled on top of it.   Beware...  monster post below ;)

Image Source

With some willing subjects in tow, I decided on several dishes...  doro wot (chicken stew), yekik alicha (split peas), atakilt (potato/carrot/green bean) and chickpea wot.    Yes, too much food for one meal!    Due to someone's dislike of alliums, I prepped all of the onions ahead of time and added them to completed dishes after reserving an onion-free portion.  My big fail for the evening was injera.   Barely edible, it's definitely something I need to try again.

I can't believe I'm showing this photo...  excuse my appearance, I was still sick ;)

It all starts with Berbere, a spicy mix that many recipes called for equal parts paprika and cayenne.  Yeah, I've definitely improved my spice tolerance, but I knew there was no way I could handle that.   Here's what I cobbled together...  I don't recall things being that spicy, just flavorful, but perhaps they had dumbed things down for American taste buds?    Feel free to play around with this mixture!!  I'm thinking maybe I'd cut back on the cayenne and add in more of a different (less potent) ground chile powder.

Berbere

Berbere Spice Blend
Yield:  ~1/2c

1/4c paprika
1T smoked paprika
2T cayenne powder
2t salt
1t ginger
1/2t freshly ground cardamom
1/4t garlic powder
1/2t ground nutmeg
1/8t cinnamon
1/8t allspice
1/8t cloves
1/t ground fenugreek seeds

Combine all spices and mix well.  Use cautiously, start with less than the recipe calls for and adjust from there!

Atakilt

And the rest of the recipes...  I used this recipe for Atakilt.  I used 2t of my berbere, which was a bit too much for me but enjoyed by others ;)

Doro Wot

Doro Wot/Wat/Wet/We't (etc...)
Serves 4-6

1T butter
1 lg garlic clove (or 2 smaller ones), minced/pressed
2" knob of ginger, grated
1/4t freshly ground cardamom
few grinds of pepper
pinch of numeg
1 clove
1/2t cinnamon
1-3t berbere (see above)
chicken stock
1lb chicken, cut into bite-size pieces (1" cubes or so)
4-5 hard boiled eggs

Melt butter in a medium dutch oven over medium-low heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until they turn golden brown.   Add garlic, ginger and rest of spices (cardamom through berbere).  Cook until the onions soften and take on the color of the spices.

Add chicken and enough chicken stock to cover the chicken.  Bring to a simmer and poach chicken for ~15min, until chicken is cooked through.  Use a fork and prick the eggs (don't go all the way through the egg), then add to stew.  Season to taste with salt and keep warm until serving.

Yekik Alicha

Yekik Alicha
adapted from Wasabimon
Serves 6-8

2T olive oil, plus more as needed
2 yellow onions, finely minced
2 tomatoes, chopped fine
2T tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced/pressed
3" knob of ginger, grated
4-6c warm/hot water
1lb yellow split peas
2t tumeric
1t berbere
1/4t black pepper
1t cardamom
salt to taste

Rinse split peas in warm water, drain and set aside.

In a medium-large dutch oven (or other heavy-bottomed pot), heat 1-2T olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add tomatoes and garlic and cook for 5min, adding more oil if they begin to stick or brown/burn.  Add ginger and cook for 5more min, again adding more oil if becomes too dry.

Add the rest of the spices (tumeric through cardamom), split peas and enough water to cover the split peas.  Cook for 20min (I think mine took 30-40min), adding more water as needed.  The goal is not to make a soup, but enough water to cook the split peas.   Cook until split peas are tender, salt to taste.  Let cool before serving.

Chickpea Wot (don't mind all the peas on top...  i forgot to add them earlier!)

 

Chickpea Wot
Serves 4-6

2T olive oil
1 lg red onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 potato, chopped
1t berbere
1T tomato paste
1c chickpeas
1 1/2c water
1c frozen peas, thawed

Heat oven in medium pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened.  Add carrots and potato, cover and cook for 10min, until softened.  Add berbere and tomato sauce, stirring until well inocrporated.  Add chickpeas and water, cover and bring to a simmer.  Simmer until water has evaporated (veggies should be tender, if not add more water).  Add peas and cook a few minutes more.  Salt to taste, cool and serve.

My plate...  Elina's plate

I think things turned out pretty well, my favorite being the chickpea wot (although I'd add more chickpeas next time!).   Like I said, I need to try the injera again so I'll be making the journey to Ethiopia again :)

Action shot!  Thanks Elina...  apologies for showing you my armpit :)

Have you tried Ethiopian cuisine?  Any good injera recipes out there??

Recipe Impossible: Winter Squash

The Challenge: Pair two ingredients from a top secret mystery package (courtesy of Marx Foods) with winter squash that will help Joanne's orange complexion this year ;)

In the mystery package?   Anji Panca and Pasilla Negro Chilies, maple and coconut sugar, ginger and espresso salt, fennel pollen and vanilla beans.

Roast your butts

The wheels immediately started turning and I came up with a few ideas.  I was thinking of a chili (brandi's looks delicious...  although i don't know that i should be linking to my competition ;) ), but there was one thing I couldn't shake:  Espresso Salted Caramel Sauce.  Oh yes.

Ready to bake

Given espresso's penchant for bringing out the best in chocolate, I decided to whip up with a butternut chocolate cake.  I wanted the butternut squash to be a major player, so I added some into the cake itself and then put some more on top for good measure ;)

Moist and delicious.

Butternut Chocolate Cake w/Espresso Salted Caramel Sauce, indeed.  I was seriously excited when I took my first bite and thought about how I didn't want to share...

Oh the drizzle...  I'd bathe in that salted caramel sauce.

But I did, and it got rave reviews!  Can I interest you in a slice?

Espresso Salted Caramel Sauce
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yield: a dangerous amount (just shy of 2c)

While I created this for the butternut chocolate cake below, this would also be amazing over some ice cream, apples, off the spoon...  use your imagination, not restraint ;)

1c granulated sugar
6T unsalted butter, RT
1 1/2t espresso salt*
2/3c heavy cream, RT

In a 2qt saucepan over medium heat, whisk sugar until it turns dark amber.  Add butter and espresso salt and whisk until butter has melted and is well incorporated.  Remove from heat and pour in heavy cream (it will bubble up) and whisk until combined.  Cool 10-15min before using.  I almost filled 2- 8oz glass jars.  Store in the fridge, just be sure to warm before using!

Butternut Chocolate Cake, cooling...  temptation.

Butternut Chocolate Cake
adapted from Eating Well & Oh She Glows
Yield:  8" round cake

I was tempted to try some of the ground chiles in the chocolate cake, and I totally think it could work.  I might just have to make it again soon!!

Dry Ingredients
3/4c + 2T white whole wheat flour (or AP flour)
1/3c maple sugar*
1/4c + 2T unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4t baking powder
3/4t baking soda
1/2t cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/8t fine ginger salt* (I ground in my coffee grinder)

Wet Ingredients
1/2c buttermilk
7.5oz roasted butternut squash puree
1/4c sucanat (or brown sugar)
seeds of 1/4 Madagascar vanilla bean*
3T egg substitute (or 1 egg)
2T mild flavored oil
2T agave (or honey, I'm guessing maple syrup also would've worked but I just thought of that!)

Butternut layer
1/2c roasted butternut puree
1 1/2T buttermilk (or your favorite milk)
seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean
1T cornstarch/arrowroot
2T +2t sucanat (or maple sugar or brown sugar)
1/3t cinnamon
1/4t ginger
1/8t nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350deg.   Spray an 8" cake pan with nonstick spray (I used the one with flour).

In a medium bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder.  Add rest of dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Add butternut squash, buttermilk, sugar and seeds of the vanilla bean to the bowl of a mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment if you're using a stand mixer).   Beat on low speed until well combined.  Add the egg and mix.  Stir in oil and honey.  Fold in dry ingredients until just incorporated.  Pour into prepared pan.

For the butternut layer, stir together cornstarch, sugar and spices.  Add pumpkin, vanilla and milk and mix well until there are no clumps.  Spoon butternut squash mixture on top of cake batter (I used a little more than half) and swirl around with a knife.  Bake in preheated oven for 35-45min, until a toothpick comes clean.  Mine took 40min, and while there will be a little moisture from the top butternut layer, there should be no batter from the chocolate cake.  Cool on a wire rack  (try to let it cool completely...  I had trouble with this!).


Slice and serve with espresso salted caramel sauce.  Swoon.  Lick your plate.  Go back for seconds :)

Thank you Joanne and Marx Foods for this opportunity-- this was alot of fun, and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!!!


*Disclaimer:  samples were provided at no cost from Marx Foods.

San Jose del Cabo's Tequila Shrimp

On a recent trip to the southern tip of Baja California, I heard about Tequila Restaurant in San Jose del Cabo, twenty minutes east of its better known cousin, Cabo San Lucas.  Enrique Silva, co-owner and chef, introduced me to one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, Camarones al Tequila.

He serves the shrimp with sides of black beans and fried plantains, which were great, but a bit impractical for my kitchen so I’ve adapted the recipe.

For a side, I think rice, pasta, or steamed spinach works just as well. The tequila-garlic sauce gives plenty of flavor.  Add a green salad and you have the perfect, easy-to-prepare meal.

The tequila should be white and inexpensive. Save the good stuff for your guests.

Recipe: Tequila-Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients

24 large, raw shrimp, washed, shells removed, deveined

4 garlic cloves, skins removed, finely chopped

1/2 cup cilantro or Italian parsley, washed, leaves only, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon onion or shallot, finely chopped

4 oz tequila

2 tablespoons sweet butter

1 oz lime juice, fresh squeezed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the rice, make the pasta, or steam the spinach ahead so the side dish and shrimp are ready at the same time.

2. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan on a medium flame. Add the garlic, cilantro (or parsley) and onion. Sauté 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.

3. Add the shrimp. Stir well to coat. Cook 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the tequila, butter and lime juice. Use a match to flame off the alcohol. 

5. Raise the heat to medium-high. Keep stirring to mix well.  The sauce should thicken in 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

6. Taste and adjust flavors with sea salt and pepper.  For heat, dust with a little cayenne.

Serve hot with the side of your choice.

Cabo San Lucas on Dwellable

Mushroom Madness

Happy Tuesday everyone :) 

Wanna help me win some mushrooms?   I feel like I've been asking alot of you lately, but...  if you wouldn't mind one extra click, I'd love it if you'd vote for my Summer Corn & Wild Mushroom Risotto!  Voting is open until Friday @ midnight, no registration required and one vote per IP address.  Thanks ;)



I'm still recovering from this cold, but I have some good stuff coming up...  until then, go make some Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls w/Maple Icing for a delicious fall treat or Wild Mushroom Pasta for a new twist on pasta!

Wild Mushroom Pasta

It's been a long week.   I discovered a crack in my bike frame...  unrideable.  I'm not running while I spend alot of money trying to fix my hip alignment.    And I've been fighting a cold.   Fantastic.

The one redeeming thing from last week was that I discovered how easy it was to make fresh pasta!   I had taken a class when I was in Italy this summer, but I hadn't braved the process on my own so I still expected it to be worse than it was.

I'm sure there is room for improvement, but it turned out well and I couldn't be more pleased :)     Well, unless my bike didn't need to be fixed and I didn't have so many biomechanical issues...     anyways...

Luckily I had some wild mushrooms from Marx Foods to distract me.   I've had alot of "flavored" pasta that didn't live up to the hype, so I really wanted to create a mushroom pasta that really fit the bill.   To do this, I ground up the dried mushrooms and used that in place of some of the flour.   It made the dough a little more difficult to work with, but a little bit of extra water was all it needed.

I love how light fresh pasta is, truly amazing!   Topped with, an earthy Mushroom-Goat Cheese Sauce, this was certainly a winning dinner :)

Wild Mushroom Pasta
adapted from in Tavola
Serves 2

150g Italian Style '00' flour (I had gotten some from KA, but you can use all purpose flour)
50g  dried porcini mushrooms* (1.8oz), ground in a spice grinder
2 large eggs
salt to taste (we didn't taste the raw dough in class, just a generous pinch :) )

Mound the flour and ground dried mushrooms on your work surface (a granite countertop or a large wooden pastry board work well).  Make a well in the center and crack eggs into the hole.  Add a generous pinch of salt.

Beat the eggs well with a fork, then slowly begin to incorporate flour from the inside perimeter of the well into the eggs.  Once enough flour has been incorporated, knead dough until smooth and elastic.  If the dough is too dry (maybe your eggs are a little small or the mushrooms are absorbing more liquid), add water, a few drops at a time, until it is easier to knead.  If the dough is a little wet (eggs a little large, etc), add a little extra flour until the dough is not sticky.  Wrap the dough ball tightly in plastic wrap and let rest while you prepare the sauce.

As I was making the sauce, I brought a large pot of water to boil.   For this pasta, I simply sauteed some sliced baby bellas, shiitakes, and red onion in a little olive oil/butter until browned.  Added some fresh thyme and saute until fragrant, then crumbled in some goat cheese.  A little pasta water to thin it out, and it was ready for the cooked pasta!

Divide the dough in half, and wrap one half back up as you work with the other.  Roll out one part of the dough on a slightly floured surface.  Fold in thirds, roll out with rolling pin.  Repeat two times.  I really wanted to get more pictures while I was doing this, but I needed another pair of hands.  To get the idea, check out this post!

Run dough through the widest setting of your pasta roller (this was a 1 on my machine), fold in thirds, and repeat twice more, almost like you were making puff pastry.  Adjust your pasta roller to the next thinnest setting and run dough through.  Continue this process until your pasta dough is nice and thin (I did this to 7 or 8), the dough will start to ripple a little bit and if it was regular dough would almost be transparent.    If the dough breaks apart when you're running it through the roller, don't worry, gather it back together, roll it out and repeat the process.  This happened a bit more than when I made a simple egg pasta, I think because the dried mushrooms were probably not ground as fine as flour, but it still came together with a little extra work.

To finish the pasta, cut your pasta sheets into desired shapes using appropriate cutter (I chose fettucine).  Cook in boiling, well-salted water for a few minutes.  Remove with large slotted spoon and toss directly into the sauce.   Serve, garnished with some fresh parsley!

I also tried drying some of the noodles overnight.  They're wrapped up in the freezer, so I'll come back and let you know how that worked out when I use them ;)

Have you ever made your own pasta? 

*Disclaimer:  I received some wild mushrooms from Marx Foods to have fun and create some recipes, my sweet corn and wild mushroom risotto being another!

I'm entering this into the Grow Your Own #46, being hosting this week by MomGateway!   Maybe one day I'll forage for my own mushrooms :)

Day-Tripping in Amsterdam

A city on a uniquely human-scale, there's so much to see in Amsterdam, focusing day trips in a single area will help you enjoy the city at a leisurely pace.   

MUSEUMPLEIN AND DE PIJP

Amsterdam is home to dozens of great museums, not the least of which are the Amsterdam Historical Museum (Kalverstraat 92) , the inspiring Dutch Resistance Museum (Plantage Kerklaan 61), the Filmmuseum (Vondelpark 3), the Foam-Fotografiemuseum (Keizersgracht 609), the Royal Palace (Dam), and the remarkable Hermitage Amsterdam (Amstel 51). 

For a day trip, three of Amsterdam's best museums are conveniently within a block of one another in the Museum Plaza (Museumplein) just south of the city center.  

Ongoing renovation has temporarily closed the Stedelijk Museum (Museumplein 10) which houses an impressive collection of modern art. The national art museum, the Rijksmuseum (Jan Luijkenstraat 1), is also undergoing renovations, but part of the museum is still open. Even though you can't see all the collection, the oil paintings by the Old Masters are on display and well-worth the visit. Don't overlook the decorative arts collection, especially Room 3 with the amazingly detailed dolls' houses of Petronella Oortman.

Half a block away, the Van Gogh Museum (Paulus Potterstraat 7) awaits you.  The collection is the most comprehensive in the world, as you would expect, given that this is Van Gogh's home.  What is unexpected is the building itself. Light, airy, and spacious, a walk through the exhibit space is invigorating. The museum is one of Amsterdam's most popular.

Having spent several hours in the museums, you're probably hungry.  In the spacious park behind the museums you can have a snack or relaxing lunch at the small stands, like the Kiosk Rembrandt Van Gogh, that serve sandwiches, salads, coffee, and dessert. 

Or, stretch your legs and walk a couple of blocks to the popular Heineken Experience (Stadhouderskade 78) and take a tour of the old brewery.  Because of the crowds, it is recommended to make an on line reservation. The price of admission includes two glasses of beer.  

For dessert, De Taart Van M'n Tante (Ferdinand Bolstraat 10) is around the corner.  The cozy tea shop is famous for its elaborately decorated cakes.  

The always crowded Albert Cuypmarkt in de Pijp (the Pipe) is also nearby.  Part country fair, flea market, farmers' market, and food bazaar, the market stretches for blocks with stalls selling an amazing variety of goods, including freshly squeezed fruit juices, farm fresh produce, meat, poultry, cut flowers, ready to eat food--including freshly made stroopwafels (crispy waffles with a caramelized sugar filling) and frites served the Dutch way with mayonnaise--clothing, fabric, sundries, cell phone accessories, thread and buttons, household goods, furniture, and jewelry.  

After you've checked out all the bargains, you might need some peace and quiet.  Walk over to Vondelpark with its expansive meadows and network of ponds. You can picnic with the food you bought at the Albert Cuypmarkt or stop at one of the two outdoor cafes to have a coffee, beer, or sandwich.

THE JORDAAN

Another full day can be focused around the Anne Frank House (Prinsengracht 267) in the Jordaan.  Bordered by the Prinsengracht and Lijnbaansgracht canals on the western side of the city, the small streets of the Jordaan, originally a working class area, now a favorite home of young professionals and artists, has a unique charm.  

A visit to the Saturday Northern Market (Noordermarkt) is an absolute must.  The market on the northern side of the Northern Church (Noorderkerk) stretches for several blocks and resembles an outdoor supermarket as much as anything else.  Long refrigerated cases are filled with a great variety of meats, cheeses and poultry.  But it is the market on the southern side of the church that you want.

The organic or biologic, open air market on the south side fills the area in front of the church much in the way markets have done in Europe since the Middle Ages.  If the weather is sunny and warm, you're likely to encounter young musicians playing in the courtyard.  For a picnic, you can buy a loaf of just-baked bread, a kilo of ham, and a piece of delicious Dutch gouda.  Or if shellfish is your passion, freshly shucked oysters plucked that morning from the Wadden Sea are offered for €1.50 each.  

Dozens of vendors sell fresh produce, cheese, baked goods, meat, poultry, and seafood alongside others who offer antiques, jewelry, handmade articles, clothing, paintings, drawings, and used cds and vinyl records.

There are treasures to be found at the market.  Not the least of which are the hand-fashioned wool animals made by Josche Mooyman (Beeldend Kunstenaar, Klassiek Portret, Maskers en Dierfiguren, 020/671 21 47) who sits quietly on a stool, making her wonderfully empathetic miniature animals that sell for as little as 1 Euro each.    

The Jordaan is home to many cafes.  If you want to eat authentic Dutch pancakes, which are more like French crepes than the American version, the Pancake Bakery (Prinsengracht 191) is several blocks north of the Anne Frank House.  Dutch pancakes can be savory or sweet, the choice is yours.  You can feast on pancakes, giant omelets or poffertjes, another local treat, soft little pillows of sweet dough, flavored with butter and powdered sugar.

Cafe Winkel (Noordermarkt 43), across the street from the Northern Church (Noorderkerk), is a favorite of locals who flock to the intimate cafe for slices of apple cake with raisins, topped with a generous portion of whipped cream. The bar menu offers soups, omelets and sandwiches, including one with a "filet Americain," a finely ground beef patty with herbs, kind of a fancy hamburger.

Because this is Holland, there is a Tulip Museum (Prinsengracht 112).  Not one of Amsterdam's major museums but a delightful one, none the less.  Fortunes were made and lost in the 17th century tulip trade and the Dutch passion for tulips spawned an important, modern industry.

Although the floating Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt) is not in the Jordaan, if you love tulips, you owe it to yourself to follow the Singel canal south to Koningsplein, where you will find stall after stall of vendors selling an amazing variety of tulip bulbs.

The centerpiece of a day excursion in the Jordaan is, of course, the Anne Frank House. There is usually a line to enter the museum, so bring something to read and an umbrella because there is always a chance of rain, even in summer.

Visitors take a self-guided tour through the beautifully preserved house.  Moving together in small groups, sharing the small spaces, ducking under the low threshold of the hidden doorway, and climbing the impossibly steep staircases, it is easy to feel the claustrophobia that the Frank and Van Pels families experienced.  

Walking through the house is an emotional experience shared with Anne Frank herself. Her words are etched into the walls and her diary, with its delicate, precise handwriting, is displayed for all to see.

In an attic section of the annex, portions of a 1967 interview with Otto Frank are projected on the wall.  He talks about reading Anne's diary for the first time after the war and being surprised by her deep thoughts and self-criticism.  The Anne he read in the diary was "quite a different Anne than the one I knew."  From that fact he comes to a realization felt by most parents who have lived far more ordinary lives, "My conclusion is that parents don't know really their children."

The second floor museum cafe has a simple menu of sandwiches, pastries, and beverages.  What is remarkable about the cafe is not the food but the view.  

In one of the quotes from her diary, Anne talks about how she longs to ride her bicycle and walk the streets of Amsterdam without fear.  The cafe's wrap-around glass wall looks out onto Prinsengracht and the pretty houseboats below, exactly the view that was blocked from Anne's view by the blackout curtains that covered their windows.  We can enjoy the view that she was denied.

For other articles about Amsterdam, please see:

Amsterdam's Upscale Restaurants

Eating in Amsterdam: Dutch Food & the Amsterdam Restaurant Scene

The Dollar's Up, the Euro's Down, a Perfect Time to Visit Amsterdam

In Holland There are Long Lines at the Herring Shacks

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Seriously delicious.   

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

And thanks to my friend Adeeb for taking pictures of the process, I think he enjoyed them ;)

Clockwise from top L:  ingredients, dry ingredients, activated yeast, unactivated yeast

Combine wet and dry ingredients until a dough forms

Kneading
(for a video of this, click here!)

Filling

Roll out dough to a 9x13ish rectangle

Spread out filling, roll tightly, and cut into 8 sections

Don't forget to take pictures along the way ;)

I'm going to call this the Cinnamon Roll Stretch ;)

From left:  pre-rise, to bed, post-rise

Torture.

Icing the beauties

Totally worth it.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls w/Maple Icing
adapted from Peas & Thank You
Yield:  8

If you want to prepare these ahead of time, you can prepare the dough up to the point where the cinnamon rolls are placed into the pans, just cover and set in the refrigerate overnight.  Then you can bake them off when you wake up!!

Dough:
1c milk, warmed (I had Lactaid on hand this week, but feel free to use your favorite nondairy liquid)
2 1/4t active dry yeast
1/2c pumpkin (increased a bit from the original recipe)
2 1/2c white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry or AP flour), plus more for kneading
1T baking powder
2T evaporated cane juice (sugar)  (Lactaid is a little sweeter than normal milk, so I used less sugar, up to 1/4c if you'd like it to be a little sweeter)
1t cinnamon
1/8t fresh grated nutmeg
dash cloves
1/4t salt

Filling:
1/2c sucanat (or brown sugar)
1T cinnamon
1/2t fresh grated nutmeg
dash cloves
2T butter, softened
2T pumpkin (I'd use 1/4c next time, or a little more)
2T raisins
2T chopped pecans

Maple Glaze:
3/4c powdered sugar (I'd use 1c next time)
2-3T maple syrup (I used grade B)
1/8t maple extract (optional)
1/4t vanilla extract
milk to thin

Sprinkle yeast over warmed milk (be careful it's not too hot, you don't want to kill the yeast!), set aside.  In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour through salt).

To prepare the filling, combine sucanat and spices in a small bowl.  Cut in butter and pumpkin, then add in raisins and pecans.  Set aside.

When yeast mixture has become frothy and yeast has activated (5-10min), stir in pumpkin.  Add this mixture to dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.  Transfer dough to a clean, floured surface and knead until dough becomes smooth, adding extra flour as necessary (I used another 1/4c or more).  Set aside for a few minutes.

Re-flour your work surface and roll out dough to ~9x12 rectangle (~1/4" thick).  Spread filling mixture over dough, leaving 1" border around the edge.  Starting at one of the 9" sides and tightly roll the dough.   Cut the dough into 8 pieces.  Spray a 9" pan with nonstick spray and arrange rolls in pan (I used two pans, as I wanted to give them room to rise).

Preheat oven to 350deg.  Cover rolls with a towel and let rise on the preheating oven until doubled in size (or as long as you can wait ;)).  Bake for 20-25min (I should've pulled mine out  at 20min), or until golden on top.  While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple extract (if using) and vanilla extract.  Add in as much milk as needed to achieve a spreadable consistency.

When rolls are done, drizzle with icing and serve!   Definitely enjoy warm!

My favorite part of any good cinnamon roll :)

And if you're looking to fuel your next ride, perhaps I can suggest this filling?  :)

Kidding...  it's too thin ;)

What's your favorite part of a cinnamon roll?  The crispy outside?  Gooey filling?  Sweet icing?