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Every year around this time I get sentimental. From November through early January I’m in a constant state of festive emotion.
All five of our boys have birthdays clustered among Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Time seems to fly when you’re singing “Happy Birthday” twenty-five times in six weeks (I usually sing five rounds per child) and layering in carols on top of it all.
That’s how I earned the unofficial title of Queen of the Holidays in our house. I’m not claiming any rivalries with Martha Stewart—this is a small, joyful crown of homemade celebration: Queen Thanksgiving and Christmas Spirit.
We make handprint turkeys and construction paper cornucopias, and we’ve even used actual turkey feathers (from a deceased turkey—never plucked from a live bird) for headdresses to honor the people who helped early settlers. Our tree is a delightfully haphazard, very personal collection of memories.
Each year the tree fills with homemade ornaments, a few keepsakes from a beloved but now-closed Chinese restaurant, an ornament from my childhood piano teacher, and other oddities the kids love. There are pieces of iridescent ribbon they carefully cut from a gift years ago, rocks (they adore rocks), twigs—because, as one child insisted, “A tree can never have too many!”—and, occasionally, a carefully folded paper towel placed with solemn pride.
I sing at random. I dance around the kitchen wielding wooden spoons, grinning broadly and spreading cheer. Baking and cooking reach near-manic levels in our house this time of year.
What puts me instantly in the holiday mood more than the scent of cookies or a loaf of bread rising in the oven? It’s hard to top that aroma. I’ll also add the guilty pleasure of licking chocolate from your fingers after breaking a batch of English toffee, a cold glass of eggnog, a steaming stockpot of soup, and a pan of hot, soft rolls brushed with butter.
For me, nothing says Thanksgiving quite like rolls—specifically, my grandmother’s rolls. They were the highlight of the Thanksgivings of my youth and remain one of the biggest joys today. Her rolls are, simply put, perfect.
I treasure her handwritten recipe on an index card. The rolls are soft and golden brown with a touch of nutty whole wheat and a subtle hint of honey. They reliably disappear faster than other side dishes at the feast.
One practical advantage of this recipe: you can make the dough, shape the rolls, place them in pans, wrap them tightly and freeze them days ahead. When you’re ready, thaw on the counter for about two hours, let them rise another hour and a half, then bake—fresh rolls with almost all the work already done.
Honey Potato Rolls
Rebecca Lindamood
30
30
1
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Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast or Instant (one packet)
- 1½ cups warm water for best flavor, use the water in which you cooked the potatoes
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1 cup mashed potatoes lukewarm
- 2/3 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 5 to 5½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
To Make the Dough:
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In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine the warm water and honey, stir gently, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add the mashed potatoes, butter, eggs, salt and any other ingredients except the flours. Stir well using a sturdy spoon or the dough hook until combined. Add the whole wheat flour and 2 cups of the all-purpose flour and mix until even. Gradually add the remaining all-purpose flour and stir in. If you have a stand mixer, knead with the dough hook; otherwise, turn the dough onto a generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about five minutes. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl or dough bucket, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 5 days.
To Shape the Rolls:
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Grease or butter two 9” x 13” rectangular pans or four 8” round pans and set aside.
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Turn the dough onto a floured surface and punch it down. Divide the dough in half, then portion each half into 20 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball.
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Place the dough balls into the prepared pans (arrange 5 rows of 4 in each rectangular pan or 10 rolls in each round pan). Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy and nearly doubled in size, about 2 hours.
To Bake the Rolls:
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
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Bake the rolls 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, brush warm rolls with melted butter before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 73kcal
Carbohydrates: 10g
Protein: 1g
Fat: 3g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 16mg
Sodium: 119mg
Potassium: 45mg
Sugar: 4g
Vitamin A: 105IU
Vitamin C: 1.2mg
Calcium: 5mg
Iron: 0.3mg
Nutritional information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition with the actual ingredients you use if needed.
Did you make this recipe?
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