When gathered with family recently, I asked their opinions for an idea of mine, a family cookbook. Family favorites that have been handed down for generations and remind one of growing up here in Iowa and the people who had made them in the past. Almost immediately the most popular family recipe came up, Grandma Max’s Cinnamon Rolls. “My Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls”; “Your Grandmother’s Cinnamon Rolls”; “Maxine’s Cinnamon Rolls”.
It is said that no one has been able to reproduce the famed Cinnamon Roll just as Grandma Max had done. What did she do that was just so perfect that others were unable to copy her? This seemed like a personal, but familial challenge to me. I obtained a photocopy of Grandma Max’s handwritten recipe, instructions from the source, and went shopping for all of the ingredients. Challenge accepted! Hopefully I can at least do her hand written recipe, and her memory some justice.
Grandma was born in Rutland, Humboldt County, Iowa, in 1925. By the time she was 4, the family had moved back to the family farm just south of Troy, in Davis County – 80 acres that had been in the family since the 1840s. It consisted of corn and grain fields, a fenced pasture with a pond, and a small farm house with a couple of outbuildings. A small creek cut through the south-east corner of the property. The water well and pump were halfway down the long track of a driveway that divided the fields all the way to the road. She grew up there, on the farm, and went to school just in town. Her picture is still to be found on the walls of the Troy Academy along with her siblings. She was Secretary of her school class in 1943. No one knows where Grandma Max got her recipe, but I would like to think that it came from this farm.
I was armed with Yeast, Sugar, Confectioner’s Sugar, Milk, Shortening, Flour, Salt, Eggs, Butter, Vanilla, freshly ground Cinnamon and Raisins. Patience must be in ample supply also. There are several stages of mixing and in three of them, there is time allowed for the much needed rising of the dough. Yes, three times. I believe that this could be the largest area in which to make a possible mistake. Not enough Patience and hurrying the process could render your rolls not worthy of being called “Grandma Max’s Cinnamon Rolls”. I couldn’t let this happen.
We began by activating the yeast with warm water and sugar in a small bowl. Since I have bulk yeast I decided to use it rather than a packet. I know, obviously varying this recipe could alter the outcome, but it is what I had on hand. The ratio is 1 T = 1 packet. This is put aside to activate fully.
2 Cups of Milk are brought up to a simmer and then left to cool. To this is added to the Yeast mixture. The milk cannot be too hot or it will kill the yeast. There is no successful outcome with dead yeast. Then, with a team effort, we mixed together Shortening, Sugar and Salt and added it to the mixture. Flour was sifted and added. This was left in a large bowl to double in size. This is the first crucial test of our Patience.
When the time came and the dough had doubled in size, 4 Eggs were mixed with Softened Butter, Sugar and Raisins to taste and added together with the dough. Once the Raisins were fairly evenly distributed, 3 Cups of Flour were sifted and added. Now, some real work was needed. We worked the dough on a floured surface for several minutes until it was the desired consistency. This was placed in a buttered bowl, covered with a towel, and put aside so that it could rise a second time to double in size. We were made to wait again.
After the second waiting period was deemed to be over, the dough was rolled out, Buttered and sprinkled with some freshly ground Cinnamon and Sugar. This was rolled, lengthways, to make a Roulade, of sorts. This roll was sliced to form individual rolls, approximately one inch in width, that were then placed in the baking dishes with some space between them, because they needed to rise for a third and final time. Oh, Patience.
Finally the time had arrived to put this creation in the oven to bake. The oven was preheated to 350 F for the final test of waiting. There they sat for 25 minutes, under a very watchful eye, making sure they didn’t burn or that nothing else went wrong. We were fully invested in this process, a process experienced by Grandma Max on many occasions. I remember the smell in her kitchen. It is the smell that takes you back.
Grandma did not leave baking directions. Maybe some of this stuff is just to be understood but now is lost in time. I consulted with my Uncle who just recently made a batch of her Cinnamon Rolls himself. He consulted many family members also. The times and temps in this article are an average of all these different approaches. Grandma would have said, “Until they’re done.”
We waited for them to slightly cool before topping with a freshly made Butter Frosting. Family members were notified of the coming, warm Cinnamon Rolls from Grandma Max’s own handwritten recipe. They were divided up and consumed with the thoughts of Grandma. We shared stories and laughs. What was the final verdict? I was now returned to a position of asking my family for their opinion. This time for my rendition of a beloved recipe.
They were complimented as a valiant effort – very close. This is better than I had expected as this was my first attempt and I felt proud of doing her recipe and memory justice. The only critique that was offered is that they could have risen slightly more for the final rising. Hence, the most important ingredient, just as I had suspected from the beginning, was Patience.
Ingredients:
1 Package Dry Yeast
1/4 C Warm Water
Sugar
2 C Milk
4 T Shortening
I tsp Salt
Flour
4 Eggs
2 Sticks – Softened Butter
Ground Cinnamon
Raisins
Butter Frosting:
6 T Butter
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1/4 C Light Cream
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Cream Butter, add about half of Sugar, blend. Beat in 2 T Cream and Vanilla. Slowly add the rest of the Sugar. Use more Cream to desired consistency.
Instructions:
Mix the Yeast, Warm Water and 1 tsp Sugar together and let sit. Heat 2 C Milk – scald and cool to lukewarm.
Add the Yeast mixture to the Milk then add the following – 4 T Shortening, 4 T Sugar, 1 tsp Salt and 3 C Flour.
Stir well. Let sit in a bowl and double in size.
Once it doubles in size, mix together and add the following – 4 Eggs, 4 T Softened Butter, 2 T Sugar, Raisins to taste (approximately 1 C)
Mix together and mix in 3 C Flour.
Flour a cutting board or working surface, take contents out of the bowl and knead well – careful to not add too much flour to the dough. Dough should be elastic but not sticky.
Butter the bowl and return the mixture to the bowl and let double in size again.
Roll it out, Butter the top side and sprinkle with Cinnamon and Sugar.
Roll it up lengthways and slice – approximately 1 inch. Place in two 9″ x 13″, buttered baking dishes with ample room between them. Let the rolls double in size again and preheat the oven to 350 F.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Top with Butter Frosting and Enjoy warm!
