We travel all over the U.S., and one activity we always enjoy, no matter where our travels take us, is visiting yard sales/thrift stores. It’s amazing what you can find in each place, and how things available can differ depending on where you are.
One thing that remains consistent though, is local cookbooks. No matter where we’ve gone it hasn’t been hard to find a section devoted to local church and organizational cookbooks with lots of recipes contributed by a group of members. In that respect, Chatsworth/Murray County is no different.
At a local thrift shop I once came across a cookbook that was put out in 2007 by First Baptist Church here in Chatsworth as they celebrated their 100th anniversary. As could be expected the cookbook was full of recipes from salads to appetizers to main course dishes to desserts. If one was especially looking for a dessert recipe, this publication didn’t fail 😊.
The recipe that caught my eye first, however, was Nina M’s ‘Rolls’. Upon reading the ingredients, I realized that this was basically the old ‘School Cafeteria Rolls’ that lunch ladies used to make back when flour and yeast were part of the cafeteria pantries.
If you find yourself longing for a taste of these treats, the recipe is simple, but does require patience as you'll need to give your yeast time to activate. It's a good addition to your regular 'baking day' (if you do such a thing), as you can make large batches. If you have the room in your freezer, whip them up, bake them, then store there in small portions. You'll then have access to the rolls for meals to come, and the fact that they were frozen won't discount the quality or taste you will enjoy later.
While the book contains two almost identical versions of the same recipe, both contributed by Nina (one for those who'd like to start the process and finish up the next day, the other for those who prefer to complete the process all at once) we're listing the one that will allow you to divvy up the work between days.
Refrigerator Rolls by Nina M.
You'll need.......
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3.5 cups of all-purpose flour
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1 package dry yeast
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1/4 cup lukewarm water
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1 cup hot water
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1/4 cup sugar
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1 1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 cup shortening
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1 egg, beaten
Soften yeast in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Pour hot water over shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Add 1/2 cup flour and mix thoroughly. Stir in yeast, half of remaining flour and egg. Beat thoroughly. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured board. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Knead until smooth. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Take out and roll and cut with biscuit cutter, fold in half, then place in pan close together. Butter the top and let rise in warm place for about 45 minutes. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes until nice and brown. Makes 2 dozen rolls.