~Perfect Sunday dinner crescent rolls!~

~This is the only picture of my rolls that I could find (at bottom of picture). This is Sarah's Graduation party, and I made rolls and then made them into sandwiches.~A friend asked me for my crescent roll recipe, so here it is. Years ago, while my sister Laura was traveling with a Hobe Sound trio she got this roll recipe from her good friend Becca! (Thanks, Becca! =) Since I have had my own bread business in 4 states, was the baker for God's Bible School, and made these for our Camargo Camp in Ohio several years...I have made these by the 100's, and I still LOVE this recipe! It's pretty simple, so go ahead and try it. I tried to write detailed explanations in case a person wants to try it that isn't used to making bread. =) (Although a lot of you may already have the same recipe, just a little different version!)
~Perfect Sunday Dinner Rolls~ (YIELDS: 32 YUMMY rolls!)
In a small bowl, place 1/4 c. WARM (not too Hot, not to cold. It should not burn your finger, but should be pretty WARM) water and one small package of yeast, or if you buy it in the 1 lb. bag at Sam's or Costco, use 1 HEAPING Tablespoon! Set aside to for 10 mins or so.
In a large bowl microwave for 2 mins or so:
1/2 c. sugar
1 stick margerine or butter
1 cup water
1 t. salt
Bring out of microwave and use mixer or by hand (using wire whisk for the first 2 or 3 cups of flour, then a spatula) stir in 1 cup of flour and MAKE SURE THAT YOUR WATER MIXTURE IS NOT TOO HOT, BEFORE YOU ADD YOUR YEAST MIXTURE! IF IT'S STILL VERY HOT, YOU COULD ADD A 2nd cup of flour,THEN, add the yeast mixture. And then add:
2 eggs, beaten
4 1/2 -6 cups flour. (Add flour 1 cup at a time, for you may not need all 6 cups of flour.) The last cup or so of flour you should try to knead it in. Kneading is just taking the dough in the bowl (that has some flour on the bottom of the bowl) and pulling a part of the dough into the center and pushing down, then turn the bowl and grab the next section of dough and pull it into the middle and push down. What you are doing is forming the dough into a nice round, smooth, ball. (of sorts!) (When dough doesn't stick very much to your finger when you touch it, your dough doesn't need any more flour.) Cover in that bowl and refrigerate overnight. (You can let it rise on the counter for 2-3 hours, if you want to make them the same day.)
Then take the dough and you may need to add a tad more flour so it's not sticky. (I take a spatula and pull the dough away from the bowl, and add a tad of flour in the bottom of the bowl, then I knead it a little until it's sort of a smooth ball, then divide it into 4 even sections.) Take each section and roll it out on a floured surface into a nice circle (About the size of a pie). Butter with soft butter, or marg. and then take your pizza cutter and cut into 8 pie shaped pieces. Roll each piece of dough LARGE END TO SMALL END and place POINT DOWN on a greased cookie sheet, and cover. Do the same with the other 3 sections of dough. If the dough is COLD, let rise about 4 hours or so (while gone to church on Sunday morning, and bake when you get home!) If the dough is NOT cold, let rise just an hour or so, and then bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes or so. I like my rolls barely brown, like to where you have to glance TWICE to make sure they are not raw! =) Butter the tops of them when they come out...and THERE YOU GO! You have just made some very light, delicious rolls!
~Sarah made these cinnamon rolls like the first version I mention below!~
Cinnamon Rolls!
Use the same dough, and you can do it one of 3 ways.
#1 Divide into 4 sections and then roll each section into a pie shaped circle. Then butter with soft butter, add cinnamon sugar, and nuts or raisins, or whatever you like then roll the dough JELLY ROLL STYLE from SIDE TO SIDE and take a sharp knife or a piece of dental floss and cut them into 7 or 8 rolls and place them LAYING DOWN on a greased cookie sheet (WITH SIDES! so as not to have a mess in the bottom of your oven.) Let rise an hour if warm dough, 3 or so hours if COLD DOUGH and bake at 350 for 12-15 mins or so, for with the stuff inside they take a little longer to make sure they are done. Once they are cooled off, I make a quick icing and put on them. You can make this icing RUNNY, or more thick, however you want.
Icing: Melt about 3 T. of butter, and add about 1 Tablespoon of Milk and 1 t. of vanilla and how much ever Powdered sugar that you want. (like maybe 2-5 cups more or less!) Less makes a more runny icing, more makes a thicker icing. If you add too much powdered sugar, and you wanted the icing thinner, just add more milk. You can't mess it up!
#2 ~OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD CINNAMON ROLLS~ Make these same cinnamon rolls in the jelly roll style like above and slice the jelly roll into 32 cinnamon rolls and place 16 cinnamon rolls each in 2 greased 13x9 dish. Cover and let rise 1-2 hours if COLD dough, less if dough is warm. Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins. or until golden brown. Meanwhile in a saucepan, combine:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipped cream
1/2 cup butter, cubed
Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 mins. Remove from heat. With a hand mixer, Beat in the following until creamy:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Frost rolls. Serve warm.
#3 "CINNAMON LOVE KNOTS!" is a little more work, but I love them this way too! Take your dough and divide it into 4 equal section. Then divide each section into 8 small BALLS! Take each ball and roll in between your hand and make a snack-like rope. ABOUT 6" LONG. Dip each rope into a bowl that has melted butter, and then into a bowl that has cinnamon and sugar. Place the rope on a greased pan with SIDES and TIE INTO A KNOT, making sure that the ends are tucked under! LET RISE 1 HOUR if warm, 2 or 3 hours if COLD DOUGH and then Bake at 350 for a good 15-20 minutes or more, to make sure they are done inside. Cool, and can add icing if you want, but they are delicious just like they are.
Enjoy...and if you have any questions, just leave a comment, and I'll try to respond to you! =)