Best Aunt Gens Sweet Rolls Recipes

GRAMMA'S OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON SWEET ROLLS

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup, heat milk/water to "wrist-warm" (do NOT boil; just warm).
• Add yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar (you'll use the rest in the next step). Stir the yeast and sugar; let this "work" for about 5 or 10 minutes. You should have some bubbly, frothy stuff in the cup when you return. (If not--your yeast is no good, dump it out and get better yeast.).
• Pour yeast-milk into mixing bowl, and add remaining sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Using beater, mix this mess for about a minute.
• Switch to the paddle (flat beater) or a dough hook, and add remaining flour one cup-at-a-time. The dough will form a ball, and feel slightly sticky. You may not need the entire 5 1/2 cups (depends on humidity, too).
• Fill medium glass bowl with hottest tap water. If your oven can be adjusted to 100 degrees, set it to 100 degrees. Also, if your oven has a light, turn it on; place the hot water on the bottom of the oven. Close the door.
• Grease a large, glass bowl. Remove dough from mixing bowl to a floured table/counter-top; knead for 1 minute; form into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning to get grease on all sides. Cover bowl loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Turn off 100 degree oven, place bowl of dough into oven; close the door. Set the timer for 1 hour.
• Clean up the mess BUT leave floured counter-top AS IS.
• At the end of one hour the dough should've risen to about double the size. If not, let it go for another 15 minutes (set the timer--it's easy to forget---out of sight, out of mind!).
• Gather filling ingredients: 1/4 cup of melted butter; cinnamon; brown sugar; raisins and/or chopped nuts (optional).
• Punch down the down; remove from bowl; with a large butcher knife, cut dough into two equal parts. Set one aside (cover with plastic wrap).
• Grease two 13x9-inch pans with BUTTER (no substitutes are allowed -- this is GRAMMA's recipe). :-) humor me, okay?.
• On floured counter-top, lay dough and with a rolling pin, shape & roll into large rectangle, oh about 8 x 16 inches or a bit larger, keep thickness consistent throughout.
• Pour HALF of the melted butter over this, and spread with a pastry brush, right out to the edges. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (like 1-2 tablespoons), then a handful of brown sugar, spreading it evenly with fingers; right to the edges!
• Sprinkle some raisins and chopped nuts -- if using. Keep these closer to the long side closest to you.
• HERE's THE HARD PART: Starting at the side closest to you, LOOSELY roll away from you. Loosely is the KEY word. Tuck in any runaway raisins or nuts.
• Use that big knife to divide the roll in half in the middle. Then cut each half into SIX equal portions, for a total of 12 rolls.
• Starting in the middle of the roll (nicest shaped rolls) and working to the sloppy outside roll piecs, set them along the outside edges of the buttered pan, spacing evenly in the pan. Put the two end rolls in the very center of the pan. Set the cut side DOWN (so the top looks flat-ish). Set this pan on the stove for now.
• Repeat with remaining dough; vary the ingredients -- if you skipped raisins or nuts, maybe add some to this pan of rolls.
• Check if the water in the oven is still warm, if not dump out and start with fresh hot water. Put plastic wrap on both pans (re-use the other piece), and pop in the warm oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Go do something productive---clean the counter-top before all that stuff gets hard! :-D.
• When the rolls have risen to the top of the pan (or a smidgen over), remove them from the oven, preheat oven to 350. When it's warm bake them for 20 minutes; tops will be golden brown.
• Cool on a rack; then frost with a cream cheese/butter cream frosting (slather it on thick like Gramma does for the grandkids!).
• You have JUST entered the Pearly Gates!

THE BEST SWEET YEAST ROLL DOUGH I HAVE EVER FOUND

Steps:

• 1. Scald milk (bring just to a boil and remove from heat immediately).
• 2. Stir in sugar, salt, and butter. Set aside and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• 3. In a large bowl mix warm water and yeast. Stir until dissolved.
• 4. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture.
• 5. Add beaten eggs.
• 6. Stir in half the flour. Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour gradually, mixing as you go. You may need a bit more or less than the total 4 1/2 cups called for in the recipe, depending on the humidity and other factors.
• 7. Your dough should be elastic and slightly stiff but not dry.
• 8. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and very elastic. This usually takes 8-10 minutes.
• 9. Butter the inside of a large mixing bowl. Put dough in bowl and turn dough over a couple of times to coat it all with the butter.
• 10. Cover bowl and place in a warm place so it can rise.
• 11. It will take about 1 hour to double in bulk.
• 12. At that time punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board to shape.
• 13. At this point, you can shape and fill as desired. To make dinner rolls, pinch off about 2-3 tablespoons of dough and shape into a ball. Place each one in a buttered muffin tin or baking pan, barely touching each other, do not crowd rolls.
• 14. Cover prepared rolls and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, again about 1 hour.
• 15. Rolls should now touch each other. (A little more rising will occur during baking.)
• 16. Preheat oven to 350 degrees when rolls are about 10 minutes from being ready for baking. When ready to bake place rolls in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. They should be browned nicely and smell so good and yeasty!
• 17. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter immediately when removed from the oven.
• 18. Allow rolls to sit for at least 10-15 minutes before eating.

MY AUNT TERRIE'S FAMOUS HOMEMADE DINNER ROLLS (BEST EVER!)

Steps:

• In a heat-proof bowl, melt 1 stick of the butter in the microwave and allow it to cool.
• Add 1/4 cup warm (not hot) water, the yeast, and 2 tablespoons of sugar to a small bowl and stir slightly with fork. Set aside to proof.
• In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, put 3 cups of the flour with the salt, eggs (preferably at room temperature), 1 cup warm (not hot) water, 1 cup sugar, and the cooled melted butter. Mix well.
• Add the yeast mixture and gradually add the remaining 2 cups of flour and keep beating. Cook's Note: You may not need the whole 5 cups of flour; the stickier (not runny) the dough, the lighter the rolls.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl and pour about 1/4 cup of oil over the dough. Cover with a plate and let rise, at least double or more its original size, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• After the dough has risen, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it a little. Roll out the dough about 1/4-inch thick (or thinner). Let the dough rest a few minutes while you melt the other stick of butter. Use a cookie cutter and cut out rolls. Dip each roll in melted butter, fold in half and put them on a sheet pan. Arrange them close together, filling up the pan.
• Bake until nice and brown. Ovens vary, so maybe about 20 minutes.
• Take the pan out of oven and immediately brush the rolls with butter. Transfer them to a serving dish and serve.

GRANDMA PEGGY'S CORNMEAL ROLLS

Steps:

• Cook milk, cornmeal, butter or margarine, sugar, and salt in medium saucepan until slightly thickened. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well. Set aside to cool. Soften active dry yeast in warm water (110 degrees F). Combine cornmeal mixture, yeast, and 2 well-beaten eggs. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease surface and cover. When dough has doubled in size, cut and shape dough into dinner rolls. Let rise in warm place, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake rolls for 12 to 15 minutes.

GRANDMA RITA'S SOFT BUTTER ROLLS

Steps:

• Pour milk into a glass 2-cup measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it starts to boil and climb the sides, about 1 minute. Add butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt to the scalded milk; set aside to cool until it gets below 110 degrees F (45 degrees C).
• Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• Pour milk mixture into the yeast mixture; add 2 cups bread flour and egg. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, until the dough is smooth and a little tacky.
• Turn dough out onto a sheet of flour-dusted waxed paper and lightly knead to pull dough together; shape into a ball. Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough into thirds. Break each third into six evenly sized balls and arrange onto prepared baking sheet. Cover balls with a towel to rise further for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.

AUNT BETTY'S HUNGARIAN NUT ROLL

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a bowl according to package instructions. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• While yeast softens, combine sugar, 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons shortening, butter, egg yolks, egg, vanilla-butternut flavoring, nutmeg, and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat using an electric mixer until creamy and thoroughly combined.
• Combine flour, milk, and yeast mixture in a separate bowl; mix into egg mixture until well combined and a dough forms. Set aside to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Knead risen dough down gently; cut into 4 equal pieces. Set the pieces aside and let rise for an additional 20 minutes.
• While rolls rise, beat egg whites using an electric mixer in a mixing bowl until stiff. Add pecans, sugar, honey, and vanilla extract; beat to combine.
• Roll out each piece of dough using a lightly floured rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface, to approximately 13x18-inch rectangles, 1/4-inch thick.
• Spread pecan mixture approximately 1/4-inch thick onto the dough. Roll up dough, beginning from the side. Place rolls 2 1/2-inches apart on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 45 minutes.

SAUSAGE CRESCENT ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat just until browned, turning frequently. Cool slightly; refrigerate., Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 6 portions. Roll each portion into a 10-in. circle; cut each circle into 6 wedges. Place a sausage at wide end of each wedge; roll up from wide ends. Place point sides down, 2 in. apart, on greased baking sheets. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. Beat egg white and water; brush over rolls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until lightly browned, 12-14 minutes. Serve warm.

AUNT GEN'S SWEET ROLLS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Put in mixer bowl, melted butter, cold water, eggs and salt. Mix well. Add 3 c. flour. Add dissolved yeast. Keep mixing. Add 2 more cups flour. Pour out on floured board and knead in 1 more cup of flour. Let rise until doubled.
• To make cinnamon rolls: Divide dough in half. Roll out with rolling pin to 1/2 inch thick round. Spread with melted butter. Sprinkle generously with white sugar. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up dough in a long stick. Cut in 1 inch slices. Place on greased cookie sheet (jelly roll pan). Let rise until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• When cool enough to handle, frost with powdered sugar frosting: Mix together the powdered sugar, dash of salt, oleo and vanilla. Add hot water till right consistency to drizzle on warm rolls.
• For pecan rolls: Mix together butter/oleo, corn syrup, brown sugar and water. Bring to slow boil, so sugar is dissolved. Pour into 8 x 8 greased pan or round layer cake pan. Cover bottom with pecan halves. Lay a layer of sweet rolls in pan. Let rise until double. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Tip out on plate when done.