Spiced Pumpkin and Hard Cider Spring Rolls

Spiced Pumpkin and Hard Cider Spring Rolls

I made these Baked Pumpkin and Hard Cider Spring Rolls last weekend for us to snack on while we spent a very, and much needed, relaxing day in sweatpants, watching football and loosely working on wedding plans. Wedding planning for me has been such a surreal process. I mean, I've been thinking about my wedding my whole life. Not in a crazy, I have a lace-lined-binder-detailing-every-minute-of-the-day sort of way, but more in just a way thoughtful and hypothetical type of way and now it's real and we're actually planning it!

Our plans are starting to come together and for the most part it's been a really fun process. We still have lots of loose ends to tie up but I can't wait to share some of the details with you. Since we're both chefs, the main focus of our day will be food, which will coincidentally be the theme of the day; after all, it's what brought us together and what we bond over the most, why not share that with our friends and family as we bring the two sides together?

Dipping Action

Getting back to the food at hand, these Spring Rolls involve some of my favorite fall flavors - pumpkin (after all, what's fall without a fun pumpkin recipe?), hard apple cider, roasted fennel, currants and an extra sharp cheddar cheese to really bring it all together. If you find yourself being turned off to making these because you're not into fennel, fret not, just leave it out. You could also make these totally vegetarian spring rolls by omitting the chicken and you can add more roasted veg (I think roasted sweet potatoes, squash and/or parsnips would go especially well). For best results, pair with an ice cold hard cider or other fall-like beverage of your choosing. One extra note - this recipe makes a lot of sauce and that's a good thing. I saved the sauce and then later that week I crisped up some prosciutto and caramelized some onions and added some goat cheese crumbles and made a pizza. I had planned to take pictures of that too, but it got eaten up before I had the opportunity to grab my camera! I'll be making this again for sure though..

A peek inside..

Spiced Pumpkin and Hard Cider Spring Rolls

- Drizzle of olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 fennel bulb, fronds removed and bulb thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup currants
- 1 cup Boiling water
- 1 cup of Pumpkin and Hard Cider Sauce, divided (recipe follows)
- 1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 package Spring Roll wrappers (usually found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores)
- 1 egg, plus a splash of water

Pre-heat the oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast and sear the chicken for about 3 minutes on one side, flip and then finish cooking in the oven. (About 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through). Set aside to cool.
Add sliced fennel to parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast fennel until it gets very soft and turns brown on the edges. Remove and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, re-hydrate the currants by adding boiling water to them and setting aside until they plump. Drain them and discard water.
Drop oven temp to 350. Shred the chicken and add the fennel and currants. Mix in half of the Pumpkin and Hard Cider Sauce. Add shredded cheese and blend, then season to taste and roll (according to package instructions) the spring rolls. Lay onto parchment lined baking sheet. In a small bowl combine egg with a splash of water and blend to make an egg wash. Brush the exterior of each spring roll with the egg wash and lightly salt the exterior. Bake them until they are golden brown on the edges. Serve warm with a side of remaining Pumpkin and Hard Cider Sauce.

Pumpkin and Hard Cider Sauce

- 2 bottles hard cider
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 1 TBS ground cinnamon
- A couple pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
- 2 fresh sage leaves, minced
- Pinch of chili powder
- Salt to taste

In a medium-sized pot, add all ingredients, stir until well combined and heat until the alcohol has cooked out. (About 15 minutes). Season to taste with salt.