Grandma Kempf’s Cinnamon Rolls

(as preserved and practiced by Betty Boeglin and family)

Roll Dough: 

1 cup warm water                                        1 teaspoon salt

1 package active dry yeast                         1 egg

¾ cup lukewarm scalded* milk                    ¼ cup soft shortening

½ cup sugar                                                 4 cups sifted flour

*heated just until milk steams, but do not boil.  Allow milk to cool to lukewarm before using in rolls - hot milk will kill the yeast.

Dissolve yeast in warm water of large mixing bowl.  Add lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, egg, shortening and half the flour.  Mix with spoon (or electric mixer on low) until smooth.  Add enough of the remaining flour to handle easily; mix by hand.  Turn onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth, sticky and elastic (2-3 minutes).  May add extra flour, if needed.  Place into greased (or Pam’ed) bowl.  Grease or Pam the top of the dough.  Cover with cloth.  Let raise in warm place (85°) until dough doubles in size (about 1 ½ hours).  Punch down with finger tips (to pop large air bubbles).  Let raise again until almost double in size.

 Cinnamon Filling: 

1 cup sugar                                                       Cinnamon (to taste)

½ cup melted butter or Blue Bonnet margarine 

Split dough into half.  Place ball of dough on floured board.  Sprinkle with flour.  Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll to about ½” thick and oval/rectangular shape.  Spread thin layer of butter with a pastry brush.  Sprinkle generous layer of sugar.  Sprinkle layer of cinnamon.  Roll into a log.  Pinch ends of dough to hold log together.  Cut log into 1” rolls.  Lay 7-10 rolls into a 9” pie pan.  Let raise until double in size (about 30-40 minutes).  Bake at 350^○ for 20-25 minutes until golden on top.

Roll Icing:

1 pound confectioners sugar                            ¾ stick of softened margarine or butter

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract                            ½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon flour (optional)                          Milk to appropriate texture

(Icing ingredients are approximations as we “throw it together” until it tastes right!)

Mix sugar, softened margarine, salt, vanilla extract and a small amount of milk into a bowl.  Add milk until appropriate thickness of icing – about ¼ cup.  If runny, add more powdered sugar.  Flour, optional, reduces the very sugary taste of the icing.

Ice generously onto cooled pans of rolls.  You can freeze if covered by aluminum foil.  Thaw on low power (defrost) for 5-8 minutes until soft.  Will taste “just out of the over.

Enjoy!  Call Betty, Deb or Susan for roll coaching and tips.