Squash rolls fit well amid kitchen activity
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, November 20, 2004
I have always thought two ovens in one kitchen are overkill. But then Thanksgiving rolls around, followed all too fast by Christmas and New Year’s, giving me more than sufficient cause to rethink my stance on this subject.
Because it’s hard, don’t you know, to make and bake both the rolls and the pies (at our house, we always have Indian pudding instead of pumpkin pie), and still somehow manage to have them out of the oven before the turkey needs to go in.
In fact, this annual drill is an amazing, totally exhausting kitchen marathon. Which probably explains why some of us cheat a little bit, doing the making and baking of these two must-haves a day ahead of holiday dinners, even though we all know fresh baked is almost always best.
Now let’s talk specifically about the rolls portion of the program, because I’ve run across a recipe that’s particularly intriguing.
The dough itself admittedly takes some elbow grease, but nevertheless sounds quick and easy to put together, not to mention that you don’t have to shape the rolls by hand; you just plop them in the pan straight from a spoon.
That right there makes this recipe worth a try, in my opinion. But that’s not all. Because of the squash (yes, I said squash) called for, I would assume the rolls have a lovely buttery color, even though there’s not a dab of butter in them. And, since most baked goods freeze well, we could probably make them today or tomorrow and stick them in the freezer to haul out, thaw and then warm while the rest of the feast is on its way to the table.
Aha! There’s one Thanksgiving dinner problem solved already.
Now I’ll again have a chance to play with my little antique wooden butter mold. Then too, the rolls provide a perfect excuse for dragging out my bought-in-Ireland Belleek jam pot and loading it up with homemade (brag, brag) freezer jam. Talk about a win-win situation!
Let’s take a look at the recipe now, which is taken from a fairly new (a Christmas gift last year from special friends), but already well-used and treasured, copy of a local cookbook, “See What’s Cookin’ in Granite Falls.”
We are told this specialty originally came from Scotland in the mid-1800s and is called:
Thom’s squash rolls
11/3cups cooked yellow squash (14-ounce package cooked squash)
11/3cups whole milk
1/2cup sugar
1package yeast, quick-rising preferred
About 5 cups flour
In a very large saucepan, heat squash and milk over low heat until lukewarm. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Evenly sprinkle yeast over the top of the squash mixture. Let stand for a few minutes to make sure yeast is beginning to work (it will start to bubble at edges and start smelling like warm yeast).
Stir in flour by hand. Do not use a mixer or food processor. Add extra flour, if necessary, to obtain a stiff batter consistency. Turn batter into a large greased bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in bulk. This will take about 1 1/2 hours with quick-rise yeast, double the time with regular yeast.
Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Drop spoons of dough into pan, 4 crosswise and 6 lengthwise. Do not make drops very large – they should come about halfway up the pan. Let rolls rise until doubled in bulk. This will take about 30 to 60 minutes with quick-rising yeast, double the time with regular yeast.
Bake at 375 degrees 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve hot with butter. Do not store these rolls in an airtight container as they are very moist and will mold relatively fast when tightly sealed.
Makes 24.
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