Posts Tagged ‘thanksgiving’

One of the things that really seems to daunt home cooks is making homemade rolls.  But many recipes are actually quite easy, and there is nothing quite so good as hot rolls right out of the oven.

This recipe for crescent rolls has been a staple at my family’s Thanksgiving table for many years.  They are light and the crescent shape is elegant enough for a special occasion.

Here’s the recipe:

Mom’s Crescent Rolls

• 2 Tbsp. dry active yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 beaten eggs
• 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Click here for the printable recipe on Tasty Kitchen.

Here’s how to make these yummy rolls:

1.  Combine warm water with 2 tablespoons dry active yeast.  One of the important tips to successful yeast breads is getting the liquid temperature right to activate the yeast.  Think baby bottle warm.  If you are unsure, check the temperature with a candy thermometer, it should be approximately 110-115 degrees.  Take a look at the picture above, the yeast is really bubbling and activated.

2.  In a separate larger bowl, combine one cup milk with 1/2 cup butter (one cube.)  Heat in the microwave until butter is melted.  You can also do this step in a small saucepan on the stove top.  Allow the mixture to cool.

3.  Stir 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. salt and 3 beaten eggs into milk/butter mixture.

4.  Add yeast mixture and stir to combine.

5.  In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add 4 1/2 cups of flour.

6.  Pour liquids into the mixture and mix until smooth.  If the mixture is too sticky, add up to 1 cup of flour until dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.  (Dough will still be a bit slightly sticky, but manageable.  A soft dough will produce a lighter roll.)

7.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise until doubled.

8. Turn dough out onto a floured counter and cut into two equal pieces.  Form into two balls.

9.  Roll dough out into a 16 to 17 inch round.

10.   Using the back of a spoon, spread very soft butter onto the dough round.

11.  Cut round into 16 pieces, like a pizza.  (for larger rolls, you can cut it into 12 pieces.)

It should look like this:

12.  At the top of the triangle grab each corner and gently tug to stretch the dough.  Then start rolling toward the point.

13.  Place rolls on a cookie sheet, curving into a crescent, making sure the tip is carefully tucked under the roll (if isn’t tucked, the rolls don’t look as pretty when they are cooked.  The tip can even pop up and burn.)  This recipe makes 32 rolls and I use 3 cookie sheets.

14.  Cover each sheet with a clean dishtowel and allow to rise for one hour.

15.  Bake for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

16.  When rolls come out of the oven brush them lightly with butter.  This keeps them moist and delicious.

I’ve eaten four of them today…  that’s the only problem with these rolls, I can’t say no to them.

There are lots of ways to express gratitude.  But I sometimes I need an exercise, something visual, to help me really think about the things that matter to me most.

The answer this year was a Gratitude Tree.

It all started with a need to prune my Contorted Filbert Tree.  It was blocking the pathway next to our home.  Yay, I thought.  That’s one of the reasons I bought the tree almost 7 years ago, so one day it would need to be pruned, and I could bring the limbs in the house to decorate with.

I cut down the crooked limbs, removed the leaves from the branches.  And placed them in my favorite copper flower bucket.

These lovely branches were just perfect to create a Gratitude Tree.

Since Ben and I were home alone, he and I stamped some paper with leaf stamps and cut them out.  And began to write some of the things we are grateful for.  He wrote his family and our dog, Finn.  He is also grateful for his best friend Connor, his teacher Mrs. Pope, video games and Harry Potter books.

I, of course, am most grateful for my family.  My friends, good health, my home and food in my pantry are also at the top of my list.  But I found myself thinking about other things.  The little things (relatively)…  my sewing machine, warm showers, bread just out of the oven, Sunday mornings, and felted wool slippers to name a few.  I realized I could simply cover those branches in gratitude.

Who knew pruning trees could be so good for the soul?

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Snowman Hat update…. it took me long enough, but I have directions for making the snowman hat.  I’ve posted it with the snowman kit tutorial if you’re interested.