Mom's Rolls

These rolls are probably what my mom is most famous for. She has made them probably over 500 times! You use the same dough to make either dinner rolls or cinnamon roles. Both of which are amazing!  These cinnamon rolls are one of the best parts of Christmas morning!  Warning- These take about 4 hours to make because you have to wait for the dough to rise twice, but it is so worth it!

(Picture taken by Heather Crandall) 

ANITA BANKHEAD’S BUTTER ROLLS OR CINNAMON ROLLS

INGREDIENTS

Rolls:

2 pkg. dry yeast

2 c. lukewarm water

1 c. sugar

1 c. butter, melted

6 beaten eggs

1 ½ tsp. salt

9 c. flour

Glaze:
1/2 c whipping cream
1/4 c butter
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 c powdered sugar


DIRECTIONS

Dough: 
Mix the yeast with 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 cups lukewarm water. Add melted butter (make sure this is cool enough to add or it will kill the yeast). Next, add the sugar and beaten eggs. Mix well with wire whip of hand mixer. Add 4 cups of flour and salt and mix again with whip or mixer. Add 4 ½ cups flour and mix with the wooden spoon until it is completely mixed together. The remaining half cup of flour is used when you roll out the dough. It will form a huge ball. Now, just cover it over with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise until it is double in bulk. This should take about 2 hours, depending on the temperature of you house. After it rises, you can either roll it out or punch it down (don’t knead) and place it, covered, in the refrigerator. This dough will be good up to 4 days in the fridge.

Rolling the dough: 
For crescent roll, divide the dough into fourths, rolling each fourth into a circle, leaving the dough ¼ to 1/3 inches thick. Brush circle with melted butter and cut like a pie into 12 pieces. Roll up, starting with wide end to point. Place on a greased cookie sheet with point face down on pan. Cover with a towel and let rise. It will take 2 to 4 hours, depending on whether the dough was refrigerated. Makes 4 dozen dinner rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls: 
Divide the dough in half. Roll the dough into rectangle ¼ to 1/3 inch thick. Brush the surface with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar and the amount of cinnamon you desire. (Nuts and raisins may be added at this time.) Roll the dough long end to long end. Seam side down. You are ready to cut the dough using a doubled piece of colored thread. Place the thread under the dough, bringing both ends to the top and crossing the threads. Pull the thread through the dough. I cut the rolls about one inch thick; for bigger rolls, cut them thicker. Place on a greased cookie sheet, allowing space for them to rise. Cover and allow to rise for 2 to 4 hours, depending on dough temperature.

Bake: 
Both the crescent and cinnamon rolls bake a 350 F for 8-10 minutes. After removing from the oven brush the tops of the crescent rolls with melted butter and top cinnamon rolls with glaze.

Glaze: 
Depending on how much glaze you like, you will mix one part of butter to two parts of cream. For one whole recipe of cinnamon roll, I use a half cup of cream to ¼ cup butter. Heat together until butter is melted. Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla and about 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar to get the consistency you desire.

Yield~ 32 cinnamon roles or 48 dinner roles

–Melanie