Gramma Marielles Bacon Buns Recipes

GRAMPA RAY'S BACON BUNS

Steps:

• Filling: Chop bacon into small pieces; fry until crisp and drain off the fat. If adding onion, chop finely and cook with the bacon. Chop ham into small pieces. Combine ham with bacon mixture and grind in meat grinder or food processor. Cool in refrigerator. This may be done 2 to 3 days in advance. This mixture also freezes well.
• Dough: Heat milk in a saucepan. Add butter to melt. Add sugar and salt and cool. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of this liquid until yeast is activated, about 5 minutes. Beat 5 eggs slightly and add to remaining milk and butter mixture; blend and add to the yeast mixture. Add flour and use a dough hook to mix in a standing mixer for at least 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl until doubled in size. Punch down and let rise until doubled again.
• Roll out dough on a floured board to 1/8-inch thickness. Use a 4-inch round cutter or a clean tin can to cut the dough. In each circle place a lump of filling in the center, close the dough over, pinch all corners together, seal, and turn over so that seam is on bottom. Place on a baking sheet in rows. Let rise until doubled.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine egg yolk and water in a small bowl and brush over top. Bake for 15 minutes.

GRAMMA'S OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON SWEET ROLLS

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup, heat milk/water to "wrist-warm" (do NOT boil; just warm).
• Add yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar (you'll use the rest in the next step). Stir the yeast and sugar; let this "work" for about 5 or 10 minutes. You should have some bubbly, frothy stuff in the cup when you return. (If not--your yeast is no good, dump it out and get better yeast.).
• Pour yeast-milk into mixing bowl, and add remaining sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Using beater, mix this mess for about a minute.
• Switch to the paddle (flat beater) or a dough hook, and add remaining flour one cup-at-a-time. The dough will form a ball, and feel slightly sticky. You may not need the entire 5 1/2 cups (depends on humidity, too).
• Fill medium glass bowl with hottest tap water. If your oven can be adjusted to 100 degrees, set it to 100 degrees. Also, if your oven has a light, turn it on; place the hot water on the bottom of the oven. Close the door.
• Grease a large, glass bowl. Remove dough from mixing bowl to a floured table/counter-top; knead for 1 minute; form into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning to get grease on all sides. Cover bowl loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Turn off 100 degree oven, place bowl of dough into oven; close the door. Set the timer for 1 hour.
• Clean up the mess BUT leave floured counter-top AS IS.
• At the end of one hour the dough should've risen to about double the size. If not, let it go for another 15 minutes (set the timer--it's easy to forget---out of sight, out of mind!).
• Gather filling ingredients: 1/4 cup of melted butter; cinnamon; brown sugar; raisins and/or chopped nuts (optional).
• Punch down the down; remove from bowl; with a large butcher knife, cut dough into two equal parts. Set one aside (cover with plastic wrap).
• Grease two 13x9-inch pans with BUTTER (no substitutes are allowed -- this is GRAMMA's recipe). :-) humor me, okay?.
• On floured counter-top, lay dough and with a rolling pin, shape & roll into large rectangle, oh about 8 x 16 inches or a bit larger, keep thickness consistent throughout.
• Pour HALF of the melted butter over this, and spread with a pastry brush, right out to the edges. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (like 1-2 tablespoons), then a handful of brown sugar, spreading it evenly with fingers; right to the edges!
• Sprinkle some raisins and chopped nuts -- if using. Keep these closer to the long side closest to you.
• HERE's THE HARD PART: Starting at the side closest to you, LOOSELY roll away from you. Loosely is the KEY word. Tuck in any runaway raisins or nuts.
• Use that big knife to divide the roll in half in the middle. Then cut each half into SIX equal portions, for a total of 12 rolls.
• Starting in the middle of the roll (nicest shaped rolls) and working to the sloppy outside roll piecs, set them along the outside edges of the buttered pan, spacing evenly in the pan. Put the two end rolls in the very center of the pan. Set the cut side DOWN (so the top looks flat-ish). Set this pan on the stove for now.
• Repeat with remaining dough; vary the ingredients -- if you skipped raisins or nuts, maybe add some to this pan of rolls.
• Check if the water in the oven is still warm, if not dump out and start with fresh hot water. Put plastic wrap on both pans (re-use the other piece), and pop in the warm oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Go do something productive---clean the counter-top before all that stuff gets hard! :-D.
• When the rolls have risen to the top of the pan (or a smidgen over), remove them from the oven, preheat oven to 350. When it's warm bake them for 20 minutes; tops will be golden brown.
• Cool on a rack; then frost with a cream cheese/butter cream frosting (slather it on thick like Gramma does for the grandkids!).
• You have JUST entered the Pearly Gates!

LITHUANIAN BACON BUNS -- BRANDELES SU LASINIALS

Steps:

• 1. Filling: Mix well together the last5 ingredients. Set aside' Soften yeast and a small amount of flour and water. Let rise a little. Add milk, beaten eggs, shortening,salt and sugar. Gradually stir in flour to form a soft dough. Beat vigorously, cover and let rise in a warm place till double in size. Knead for 2 minutes. Let rise a second time. Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Use a glass to cut and shape buns to size.
• 2. Put i Tablespoon of filling in each circle and seal edges with a little water . Let rise again for 15 minutes on a greased pan. Brush tops with beaten raw egg and bake in a375 oven for 25 minutes.. Makes 2 dozen.

GRAMMIE BEA'S OLD FASHIONED CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Let the pie crust sit out for 1/2 hours if using the unroll and bake crusts, so they get soft enough to roll up without the crust cracking. (Make homemade pie crust if you are making your own. Roll out thin, just as you would to make a pie crust).
• Melt butter in the microwave for 20 seconds, and brush onto top of pie crusts.
• Mix cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle on top of the butter.
• Roll up crust dough jelly roll style, making into a long log. Crimp the edge of the pie crust so it holds together. (See picture).
• Using a sharp knife cut dough into 3/4" pieces, and place cinnamon side down on a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 20-22 minutes until a light golden brown. Take out of oven and let cool for a few minutes, then take off sheet, so they don't stick, and let cool.
• Store in plastic container or Zip-Lock baggie, that is if you have any left!