Pegi, Pat, Lauren, Ryan, Jack, and Maddy

Grandma Karen, known as Momo, loves to make these with Lauren, Maddy, Ryan and Jack. The kitchen gets covered with flour. They love watching the yeast grow, kneading the dough, (we call it beating up the bread) and devouring the results. Once Jack ate five, just as his grandfather David ate five and immediately proposed to Grandma Karen — or so goes the legend.

Recipe #1 — Sweet Bread

• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1 T. Sugar

Mix and set aside for 5 Minutes

• 2 1/2 cups hot milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lard
• 1 rounded Teas. salt
• 8 cups flour

Mix milk, sugar, salt and lard. Let cool until warm ad add flour and yeast.  Let rise at least 1 hour, until double in size. Knead for 3 minutes. Grease two 9 x13 pans and make into 24 rolls for each pan. Let rise again until they fill pans.  Bake 375 around 25 min.

One Thanksgiving after Dad was in the nursing home, Mom was to bring the rolls to Rosemary’s house and it started to snow hard.  She called to say that she didn’t think she was brave enough to drive into town.

Ray and Bill said they would go out and get the rolls because Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without her yummy rolls.  She asked them if they would bring her in too and of course they did.

Recipe #2 — Pecan Rolls

Use 1/4 batch of Mother’s Sweet Roll recipe.  After it has risen the first time roll dough
into rectangle 1/4 inch thick and brush with butter.  Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons brown or white sugar and 1/8 Teas. Cinnamon mixed together.  (We use 1/4 Teas Cinnamon because we like more cinnamon flavor).  Roll up like jelly roll and cut into 1 inch strips.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in 8″ X 8″ pan. Put 1/4 cup brown sugar on bottom. Put 1/2 cup pecans on top and rolls on top of this.  Cover and let rise until light, about 40 minutes. Bake about 25 minutes or until brown on top and invert the roll upon removal from oven. Enjoy.

Recipe #3 — Donuts

Use 1/4 batch of Mother’s sweet Roll recipe.  Let it raise the first time then roll out until 1/3 inch thick.  Take a glass and cut circles of dough until all is used.  Take a thimble and cut holes in the middle of each one. Let rise until double in size and drop in hot oil until golden brown, flip and do other side. Drain on paper grocery sack or paper towel and roll in powdered sugar. Eat while hot. The donut holes were my favorite.

Some of the sisters will remember one snowy day we were all out home after we were married and went sledding in Sherman Hart’s woods where there was a hill.  We took our kids and had a lot of fun, but one of Rosemary’s kids hit a stick and punched a hole in his butt. When we got home Mom had made the fresh donuts and hot chocolate for all of us and that is one of my fondest memories.