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| Before the troops arrive! |
Well, it's hard to believe, but the calendar informs me that this will be my final blog prior to Christmas!! I'm sure you're all as busy as I am preparing for the holiday -- the final few gift purchases, the never-ending wrapping, the little exchanges with friends and co-workers, perhaps the ringing of the Salvation Army bells, the prepping for the traditional meals, etc., etc. Dave and I usually host Christmas eve and Christmas morning meals. Both are very simple - Christmas eve always consists of a spiral-sliced ham with homemade sandwich buns, twice-baked potatoes and strawberry pretzel salad. Christmas morning is even simpler - Fresh fruit, a trio of warm rolls, hot coffee and juice. Everyone
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| Eat and Open! |
comes through the door in pajamas and we NEVER sit around the table, as the kids (read "my 30-something-year-olds and younger!") are all very anxious to begin the celebration. We munch throughout our time together (see the plate of rolls and fruit beside my grand-girl!) and all too soon the kids are dispersed to their "other families".
One thing we are sure to do prior to the devouring of the food, the fun and the fellowship is to remember the Author of this grand celebration - The Giver of The Best Gift. I believe this little quote would be a wonderful introduction to any Christmas day....
“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans--and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused----
And to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself.”
As you reflect on this wonderful season and make your final preparations to celebrate ,
I wish you peace and much joy!
I've included my sweet roll ideas for the "basic recipe" (See "My Life as a Loaf" blog entry for dough recipe). Each of them is very simple, can be prepared the night before and popped in the frig overnight, so all you have to do Christmas morning is bake and enjoy!!
- To make rolls that will perfectly fit in a 9” round pan, make 2 adjustments to the recipe: Use 1 cup of water and about 2 ½ cups of unbleached flour.
- Also, to have freshly-baked rolls in the morning without having to get up at dawn , mix up your dough the night before and let rise. Follow the shaping instructions. Spray the top of your rolls lightly with cooking spray and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Place in the frig overnight to rise. In the morning, while you’re preheating your oven, remove the rolls from the frig and uncover. Bake and frost as directed. ENJOY!!!
Cinnamon Rolls - After the first rise, punch the dough down and roll out into a large rectangle. Spread approximately 1-2 Tablespoons of softened butter on the dough. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Roll up dough and slice into 12-14 rolls. Place in greased 9” cake pan or a 7x10” rectangular pan. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for approximately 20-30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. Ice with a simple confectioner’s sugar icing (a combination of about 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1-2 Tbsp. milk & 1 Tbsp softened butter. (if you like maple rolls, substitute maple flavoring/extract for the vanilla in the frosting – folks love it!)
Orange Rolls – (or “Orange/Cranberry”) – While dough is initially rising, mix ¼ cup sugar with 1 tsp. fresh grated orange peel. After the first rise, punch the dough down and roll out into a large rectangle. Spread approximately 1-2 Tablespoons of softened butter on the dough. Spread the orange/sugar mixture over the butter. At this point, you may add about ¼-1/2 cup of chopped fresh or dried cranberries, if you’re going for the o-c rolls. Roll up dough and slice into 12-14 rolls. Place in greased 9” cake pan or a 7x10” rectangular pan. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for approximately 20-30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. For frosting, mix ¾ Cup confectioner sugar with 1-2 Tbsp. orange juice. Drizzle over cooled rolls.
“Sticky Rolls” – Follow cinnamon roll instructions for the dough. Grease a 9” cake pan or a 7x10” rectangular pan. In a separate bowl, combine ¼ cup melted butter and 1 Tbsp. corn syrup. Stir in ¼ cup packed brown sugar. Stir until butter no longer separates from the brown sugar. Pour into prepared pan. Top with approximately ½-3/4 Cup chopped pecans, if desired. Cut cinnamon roll “log” into rolls and place in pan. Cover and let rise. Bake at 375 for approximately 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Remove from oven. Immediately top with a serving plate and carefully turn upside down. Remove pan and let cool.
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