Can someone out there please help me ?... SOS !! MAYDAY !! HELP !!!?

Question

I've been asked to make & bring an old recipe of my late grandmothers for our families Christmas Eve dinner. I've always made from scratch her pumpkin pie recipe. However this year my step-monster has decided that it doesn't bring the excitement it used to.

She's decided I should make granny's pumpkin roll instead. Part of the process calls for the batter, after it's been baked, to be rolled out on a "tea towel". This is where I really need someone to help me out.

1. What is a tea towel?
2. Where would I get one?
3. Is there something else that can be used in it's
place?
3. And last but not least, am I the only person in
this day and age that doesn't know what a frigging
tea towel is?

I love Christmas & cherish our familes Christmas Eve dinner. Even more so since there is a really good chance this could be my last with them. If I show up for dinner without those pumpkin rolls Christmas will be lots of things, but MERRY, won't be one of them...lol Thanx!

Does anyone know why "man" the first answer gave me that website? I went there but I don't get. Of course my nurse just gave me some pain medicine so maybe I'm just not seeing or understanding very well why he would tell me to go there...could someone shed a little lite plz...

I just really need these pumpkin rolls to turn out right. There is a reason we the term "step-monster" to describe our father's wife and it's not one of endearment. I use to could stand toe to toe with her but I've been sick for awhile now and I just don't have it in me to deal with all her drama.

This may sound stupid but I want these pumpkin rolls to be the best pumpkin rolls ever kinda my way of standing up to her one last time...yeah, this sounds really dumb...LOL

But thanks guys for helping me out here

"heylistenuphere" what I wouldn't give to have you in my kitchen the day I try and make these...lol

"ricnnl"...the healthly me would have stood up to her and I did many times. But the terminal me just doesn't have it in me both physically and emotionally. The dinner is held at my Dad's so she calls all the shots. This Christmas is so important to me and I don't want the drama she would cause if I was to say or do something not to her liking. And trust me she would. Whatever she has in her chest that keeps her alive, cause it's not a heart, has made her the coldest, meanest and crulest woman I've ever met. The day we found out I was terminal she threw a big fit cause my dad cancelled an dinner/movie date with her to spend some time with me...away from her and she made his life hell for days afterwards. I just don't want to mess up anyone's holiday by starting something with her. If that makes me weak so be it...

Answer 1

Okay, here's one of many websites I found that sell tea towels.

http://www.cupacocohome.com/list.php?cat_id=1&subcat_id=1&item_cat_id=2

If those aren't to your liking, or they're too expensive, just do a search on the words "tea towel", and you should get a good-sized choice of sites.

As for that moron "man", ignore him. He's an annoying git that's been putting that link in just about every question that's been asked.

Answer 2

A "tea towel" is just an old slang for a dish towel only it's the kind that isn't made of terrycloth or a rough weave. Wow...I haven't heard that in years. I do believe that's Victorian era reference there!!

If you don't have a tea towel, you can use a pillowcase. Don't use one there at home though (some ingredients will stain it for life), go out and buy an inexpensive one to keep in the kitchen.

I find that a "kitchen designated pillowcase" actually works better than a tea towel because it it easier to manipulate and work with once everything is rolled into it. It will absorb moisture better too.

Answer 3

Well a tea towel is just a small towel like a hand towel. But to roll the pumpkin batter you could use waxed paper also. See way back when the recipe was made they used washable things more and now we use throw away stuff. OH PS follow the directions exactly in every other way or your roll won't turn out right.

Answer 4

A tea towel was a towel use to dry the tea set because it wasn´t made of terry clothe (like a bath towel) it didn´t leave lent behind on the tea set. It is the same as shape and size as a terry clothe kitchen towel but in this case it isn´t terry clothe but a peice of woven cotton. So, you can use a clean pillow case that´s not important to you because it will probably pick up greasy spots or go to the store and buy some cheese clothe from the kitchen section. Even Walmart carries cheese clothes.

Answer 5

Hi!
okay, first of all, Man's been giving the same answer to every question on the site for the last little while...
Jerk probably cheating for points, although god knows why...

Anyhow, a tea towel is a dish cloth, like what you'd use to dry your dishes. For a jelly-roll type cake choose a lint-free one, and of course make sure it's REALLY clean!
I usually find an old thread-bare one that has no lint left to shed into my cake!
Oh, and if you don't have one that's lint-free, you could use 2-3 layers of cheesecloth instead. It's really just to keepp your cake from sticking together when you roll it up.

And good luck with the step-monster, I know how you feel, ALL of my in-laws are of the monster variety!!

Answer 6

I am famous for my pumpkin roll and a tea towel is just a plain ol' kitchen dish towel. You have to be careful not to use one that is thick and fluffy or terrycloth. You don't want to give the cake a lot of textured surface on the towel because the cake will be warm and moist when you roll it in the towel and if the towel is really plush and absorbant then it'll really stick to the cake.

So find a towel that is more linen type or at least old and worn and washed a lot so it's not as plush.

When you get ready to bake the actual cake part, remember to line the pan with foil or parchment paper and then grease and flower it really well. You want to be able to get that darn cake off the pan in one piece!

Spread out the towel and shake on a pretty thick layer of powdered sugar. Then you'll kind of have to flop the cake onto the towel and then peel off the foil that will now be facing up.

Then shake on more powdered sugar on top of the cake and start to roll up the cake with the towel.

Put it in the fridge to cool for about an hour and then when you unroll it it will be cool. To put the filling inside I always use a super heavy duty freezer bag and I cut off one corner so I don't have to spread the filling with a knife (that is hard on such a delicate springy cake) and instead I sort of squeeze out the frosting/filling and I never have to try to spread it....it just squirts out in even strings of filling. then re-roll. You can use the leftover frosting to make little squigglys or decorations on top of the cake and then sprinkle again with powdered sugar right before you serve it.

If you don't have a powdered sugar shaker or screen, put the sugar in a plastic cup and seal it with foil, then poke even, medium sized holes in the foil. then you can sort of give the plastic cup little squeezes and that'll force the sugar out of the holes and onto the cake without it being all clumpy.

Also, in case you are into organic stuff...organic powdered sugar is a pain in the rear end to use for baking and for topping. It's too lumpy and kind of grey looking. use the normal stuff for this recipe.

Answer 7

a tea towel is a dish towel. you can use any light weight towel. I just made a pumpkin roll for the first time a week ago. Just make sure you don't cook the cake part too long, and when you put it on the towel, use lots of powered sugar. Don't sweat it, it will be ok

Answer 8

A tea towel is a non-terry cloth dish towel. You can also use cheesecloth or waxed paper. Result is the same regardless. But, I wonder why you are trying to accomidate her if you have no respect for her. If your pie is a tradition, then make it. What's she gonna do? Since she doesn't buy your groceries, why would you let her run your kitchen?
Do what is comfortable for you and tell her you were not comfortable making the roll. Then call one of your relatives and ask them to make it.

As to the first answer, I think he was trying to tell you your question was a bit garbled.

Answer 9

a tea towel is a kitchen towel about 16" x 26" . I would fold a flour sack towel to that size and call it even.

Answer 10

A tea towel is like a cheese cloth. You can get it at any cook ware store like bed bath and beyond or linens and things.