Grandmother's Yeast & Cinnamon Rolls

By LaLaCooks

If there ever was an iconic Grandmother recipe - this has to be it. We all loved having her family famous cinnamon rolls (please no raisins in mine!) warmed up with a drizzle of confectioner's sugar icing. To make icing just add a bit of milk to confectioner's sugar and stir. Be careful - it only takes a little milk to turn the sugar into the proper consistency to drizzle.

Ingredients

• For Envelope Rolls:
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 package yeast
• 2 eggs, beaten
• melted butter
• For Cinnamon Rolls:
• Melted butter
• toasted pecans, chopped
• cinnamon/sugar mixture
• raisins (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Dissolve yeast in warm water.

Warm milk and shortening in a small saucepan just until shortening melts. Be very careful not to boil or overheat. Remove from heat as soon as shortening melts and let cool until a little warmer than room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, yeast and milk mixture. Mix together. Add flour one cup at a time. Lightly coat top of dough with vegetable oil and cover with plastic wrap or spread a damp kitchen towel across top of bowl. Towel should not touch dough.

Place dough away from drafts (microwave is a great spot) and allow to rise until nearly doubled in bulk (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Deflate the ball and shape it once again into a ball; let rest on a lightly floured surface four about 15 minutes, covered.

Preheat oven to 375.

Roll the dough out until it is about 1-inch thick, using no more flour than necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or rolling pin. Use a small biscuit cutter or other utensil to cut out circles.

Fold an edge of dough over and push down with finger The roll will look a bit like an envelope.

If you want the rolls to have a glossy top, brush them lightly with an egg beaten with a little milk. Set aside and let rest and rise for another 30 minutes. Bake about 20 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly browned.

Cool on a rack or serve straight from the oven.


For Cinnamon Rolls:

Roll dough into long thin strips and spread butter onto strip. Sprinkle with cinnamon mixture and then with pecans or raisins as desired. Roll into a log shape and then cut into cinnamon rolls. Allow to rest and rise for another 1/2 hour and then back at 375.