Orange Rolls

Recently we took a survey of our kids. It looked something like this:

Family Interest Survey
1. What is your favorite thing to do as a family?
2. What is something we’ve only done once or twice that you’d like to do again?
3. What is your favorite vacation memory?
4. What is your favorite family tradition?
5. What is your favorite holiday memory?
6. If you could have two hours with just Dad, what would you do?
7. If you could have two hours with just Mom, what would you do?
8. What is something new you’d like to try?

There were a few other questions, but you get the idea. The results were quite interesting, actually, and revealed to me something I really knew at heart, but absolutely confirmed to me afterward. It’s not the big things we do that make the best memories. It’s the little ones. Between ‘holiday memories’ and ‘family traditions,’ for example, every one of our five children said one of their favorite things was to have Orange Rolls on Christmas morning.

That tradition started with a coupon for Rhodes bread about eight years ago. I decided how nice it would be if, on Christmas morning, I could simply pop some ready-made bread into the oven that had been rising all night and not have to worry about making a big breakfast. I bought a package of orange rolls and the kids loved their special treat. I loved its simplicity. Now about a week before Thanksgiving, each child in turn will say, “Mom, don’t forget to buy orange rolls.” Somehow, I guess it wouldn’t be Christmas without them.

But I’ve recently been watching my food budget, and somehow it seems a bit extravagant to be buying two or three bags of frozen dough when I have a recipe that makes roughly three dozen cinnamon rolls for about $2. A quick look at my all-purpose cookbook enlightens me to the idea that the only difference between cinnamon-sugar and orange filling is, well, cinnamon and orange. Cinnamon-sugar is made by combining ½ c. sugar with ½ T. cinnamon. Orange filling is made from ½ c. sugar and one grated orange rind (which came to about a tablespoon).

Time for another experiment.

I got out my trusty cinnamon roll recipe that my aunt, Susan Smith, gave me when I got married. With her permission, I share it here:

1 T yeast
½ c. warm water
Place in bowl and let yeast rise.

½ c. sugar
5 T oil
1 t. salt
1 t mace
2 c. scalded milk (I microwave for 2-3 minutes)
3 eggs
7 c. flour (I’ll sometimes make 2-3 wheat flour)

Put sugar, oil, salt, and mace in large bowl. Pour hot milk in bowl. When lukewarm, add eggs and yeast. Add part of the flour and beat together. Then add the rest of the flour and mix well. Grease inner side of bowl and let rise until double. (About 1 hour). Spread dough out on floured surface (I use oil—just something so that it won’t stick to the counter). Spread into a rectangle. Spread dough with butter, and brown sugar & cinnamon. Roll up and cut into slices and place on greased baking sheet.
Let rise ½ hour. Bake 10-12 minutes @ 400. Frost and serve.

As of last month, I’ve also decided that homemade frosting is almost as easy, a little cheaper, and far superior to the store-bought tub variety.

4 oz. cream cheese
2 T butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
2-3 t. milk (next time I’ll try O.J. if I’m making orange rolls—I think it will give it the right color & flavor) Whip on high in mixing bowl.
Needless to say, my children were absolutely ecstatic about having our traditional Christmas fare before Thanksgiving. On your average Wednesday night, no less. I did freeze seven of the orange roll slices though. I’m still working on one more experiment before Christmas to keep one of my favorite traditions alive.

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