Here is Nana, my Auntie Anne and cousin Shannon in 1979. Shannon now has a little girl the same age as she was in this picture….perhaps you’ve even seen her right here on this blog. If Nana was the queen of the icebox rolls, then Auntie Anne, along with my dad, are the heirs apparent of the icebox rolls. I’ve never even made this dough–but only because I don’t have to. They always make it. I suppose I’ll have to get around to learning how to do it myself one of these days. You can make this versatile dough into anything. It really makes good rolls.
My family is quite serious about these rolls. They are a MUST every Thanksgiving and Christmas. And Easter too, if we get around to it. We make dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls. The very best cinnamon rolls. I’m not kidding about that either–they are the BEST. Nana used to make orange rolls for Christmas morning too, but they’ve gone out of fashion for the more favored cinnamon roll. I think the orange rolls were similar but used orange zest and maybe an orange juice reduction inside of the roll?
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Nana’s Stupendous Icebox Rolls
Combine:
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
Scald:
2 cups milk
2 cups cool water
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 cup melted shortening (we typically use the butter-flavored Crisco)
Cool to tepid.
Add 3 beaten eggs and the yeast mixture. Mix and add approximately 4 pounds all-purpose flour.
Brush with melted shortening. Cover and set in a warm place. When doubled, punch down. At this point, dough can be set someplace cool and used later. We typically store it in a big covered pot in the garage during the winter months.
When ready to use, cut out the rolls, let rise until doubled, then bake.
Dinner rolls: 375* for 10 minutes.
Cinnamon rolls: 375* for 15-18 minutes.
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