If you are new here, let me welcome you to Colonels & Crickets. Also, let me introduce you to my first story/post to include a recipe. This will be the first of many recipes you will see here, I hope you will enjoy. So, sit back and relax, read this post and then get up and make some of Grandma Robin's cinnamon rolls.
"Do you all want to come down for breakfast this Saturday?"Grandma said.
Of course we did. There's nothing like a Saturday morning breakfast at Grandma's.
This morning I was taken back to my childhood and the many Saturday mornings that Grandma made us breakfast.
I went next door early to help Grandma get breakfast started. I fried the bacon, Papaw Dwight cut up the pork loin and Grandma started the hash browns. Oh, and we jammed to Elvis.
We made biscuits, gravy, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, hash browns, and pork loin. And when the table had been set and the extra chairs and stools added, the rest of our family was ready to join us for the feast.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal, but I was ready to move to the next thing on my agenda. Documenting Grandma making her famous cinnamon rolls.
She started with her yeast, oil, water and sugar mixture. Stirring it gently.
Then she added her flour.
Then we had to wait and let the dough rise.
While we waited for the dough to rise, we finished our breakfast and talked. Then Grandma began to prepare for the next steps to this work of art.
She mixed the cinnamon and the sugar for the filling.
She prepared and cleaned her work space and poured out flour on the counter.
When the hour and a half wait time was up on the rising dough mixture, Grandma poured it over the flour on the counter and began to mix and knead it.
She added more flour as she thought needed.
Then she got our her glass to roll out the dough with.
She rolled out the dough to a rectangle shape. Melted butter and poured it over the dough.
Then she sprinkled on the cinnamon/sugar mixture she had already made earlier.
Then she folded each end and began cutting slices.
One of the things that makes Grandma's cinnamon rolls special, is that she hand rolls each one.
She placed each one on the pan and gave each them a pat.
Hope sat on her little stool and watched Grandma make each one.
Lily watched, too.
As an experiment, she made a cinnamon roll in a bundt pan.
She added more melted butter and cinnamon/ sugar mixture on top.
Then we left them to rise another hour. Longest hour of my life, I might add.
But, the hour gave us the opportunity the clean up our mess and look through old recipes. We were delighted to find her Grandfather's old recipe book.
When the hour had passed and the oven had reached 400 degrees, we put the cinnamon rolls in. While they baked Grandma made the icing.
We kept an eye the rolls for about 15 minutes. Opening and closing the oven door constantly. Waiting and watching.
Finally, they were brown and done.
Grandma poured the icing over them, while they were still burn hot. That beautiful smell of cinnamon and sugar about knocked me over.
She took her spatula and made sure that each and every corner was covered in the icing.
Finally, it was time to enjoy the final product, Grandma's heavenly cinnamon rolls.
Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls
First Part
2 pkg. Active Dry Yeast
½ c. granulated sugar
¾ c. Wesson oil
3 c. Warm Water
Appx. 6 to 7 cups of Self-Rising Flour
Second Part
3 TBS or to Taste, Cinnamon
¾ c. Granulated Sugar
2 sticks butter
Glaze
1 box confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Milk
Mix 1st part to make a soft dough. Let rise for 1 and ½ hours. Roll out into rectangle. Melt 2 sticks of margarine or butter. Pour half of the butter on rectangle, spread evenly. Mix sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over melted butter until most of the butter is soaked up. Flap over each end one time. Cut with a knife and slice off end, about ¾ inch thick. Wind up in a swirl and place on a greased pan. Repeat until is used up. Take other half of melted butter, using a brush, dab on rolls. Sprinkle any remaining sugar and cinnamon on top if desired. Let rise 1 hour. Bake at 400 degrees, until brown about 10-15
Mix glaze ingredients, Adding milk very slowly until desired consistency is reached. Pour over hot cinnamon rolls and spread evenly.
Today was a wonderful memory. Today was great. Today was sweet, no pun intended.
Hannah Hensley