Grandma Jenny’s Rolls, As Promised!

Jenny was my nieces Carrie and Kate’s late grandmother. Jenny was a doll - vivacious, spunky, warm, loving, funny and a force of nature. She was a good cook and started making recipes out of her parish cookbook. She rightly called it “The Holy Angels Cookbook”, but it got renamed within the family as “the Hell’s Angels Cookbook”! (Now you understand my extended family’s sense of humor a little better!) One of the recipes from the cookbook was called “Two Day Rolls”. Jenny made them often for family celebrations and they knocked our socks off! At some point I tried making them and found the recipe to be super easy. Since Jenny passed away, we never call them anything but Grandma Jenny’s Rolls. Slathered with butter, when they are warm from the oven, they are like a little toast to her memory.

The original recipe by Carol Finnegan was found in “Angels In The Kitchen” by The Holy Angels’ Church of Barrington Rhode Island, 75th Anniversary Cookbook.

Grandma Jenny’s Two Day Rolls

1 pkg. regular dry yeast
1/4 Cup warm water
3/4 Cup milk
1/2 Cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 Cup melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Cups Flour (I like 3 Cups white + 1 Cup white whole wheat)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk and sugar. Add one tablespoon of the flour. Let stand at room temperature for one hour.

Beat in eggs, remaining flour, butter and salt. Cover and let stand overnight, NOT refrigerated. (I leave mine in the microwave.)

The next day, divide the dough into 2 balls. On a floured board roll each ball into a circle, of 1/2 inch thickness. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up, starting at the outer, wide end. Place on greased baking sheets, seam side down. (I place mine onto parchment paper on air bake cookie sheets.) Cover with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature until doubled or time to bake (up to 12 hours!).

Bake in preheated 400 degree (F) oven for 10 minutes. They should be a golden brown and sound a bit hollow when tapped.
Makes two dozen.

Note: These are an excellent do ahead recipe for holidays and dinner parties. But they must be started the day before.

These really are scrumptious and travel quite well. I’ve made them at home, put them on the baking sheets and then driven a couple of hours by car. Once at our destination, they continue to sit until they are baked just before dinner.

I'm sorry I don't have this recipe written with conversions. I hope this link or this one will prove helpful.

:: Enjoy!