November 25: Holiday Crescent Rolls

I have joined the world of reading cooking blogs and my favorite one is "jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com This crescent roll recipe comes from her blog. I tried them yesterday and they are delicious. This recipe makes 48 rolls and they were gobbled up. This recipe is a keeper.

2 c scalded milk (just put it in a bowl, and heat in the microwave for 2 min)

1 1/2 c warm water

2 TB yeast + a dash of sugar

1 TB salt

1/2 c sugar

1 stick butter, softened

3 eggs

10-12 c flour

1 stick butter, melted (for shaping dough)

1. Place the warm water, yeast and dash of sugar in the bottom of your mixer. Stir it around and let it sit for 5 minutes. It should start to rise and get all bubbly.

2. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix for 30 seconds. You want to add this much flour, before you add the scalded milk and eggs...the hot temperature of the milk would be too much for the yeast, and you don't want to "cook' your eggs.

3. Add the scalded milk, sugar, salt, softened butter (not the melted butter) and the eggs. Mix for 1 minute.

4. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, until the dough scrapes the side of your mixer clean.

5. Mix on high for 8 minutes. This much mixing really improves the texture and elasticity of the dough.

6. Let the dough rise, in the mixer for about 45 minutes, or until doubles in size.

7. Punch the dough down and divide it in 4 equal parts. Shape each part into a nice round ball and let them rise on the counter top. Spread a little of the melted butter on the counter top, before you set the dough on it. Let the dough set for 8 minutes. Letting dough rest for just a bit before it is shaped makes a huge difference when you are trying to shape it.

8. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a nice round circle about 1/2-3/4 of an inch thick. Pour a bit of the butter in the center.

9.With a pizza cutter, cut the circle into 12 equal triangles. Start from the fat end and roll each triangle up. Place on a large, sprayed cookie sheet.

10.Place on cookie sheet in 3 rows, 8 rolls deep.

11. Let them rise double on kitchen counter. Do not let them get too tall. Once they start to touch each other, they have risen enough.

12. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.

13. When the rolls are still hot, brush them all over with more of the melted butter.