More options for Dakota rolls

Published 3:29 pm Monday, August 27, 2007

Now that we’ve had a chance to work our way through previous recipes for those delicious Dakota rolls, as recently requested by Shirley Kranda of Mountlake Terrace, it’s time to try on more options and see how they fit.

Let’s start with this absolute wowser of a threesome from Snohomish cook Sandy Johannes.

“A couple of months ago,” she writes, “you had a request for a recipe for North Dakota gooey rolls. I was going to write right away but, as usual, it didn’t happen.

“Anyway, I was a Seattle girl who married a German fellow from North Dakota almost 46 years ago. Living back there for five years, near my four sisters-in-law, I learned about many new foods, including the secret to gooey rolls and kuchen.

“There are several ways to make authentic North Dakota gooey rolls, but the first topping is the one I use and get rave reviews on.”

Sandy’s three different versions follow, and she has also offered to share with us her authentic recipe for German kuchen. One of these days.

And don’t think we’re not going to hold you to that, Sandy! We are!

Then, to wind things up, faithful Forum contributor Jean Kroeze of Arlington supplies us with both a filling and a topping for sticky buns.

“I copied this one from a magazine sometime in the last 20 years or so,” she says. “At that time, you could make a pan of these for 41 cents each. For the dough, just use the same directions as for basic sweet yeast rolls.”

North Dakota gooey rolls

Using any recipe for basic sweet yeast dough, roll out, spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Slice rolls.

Topping I

1-1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

Mix together the brown sugar and cream; pour into greased 9-inch square baking pan or 9-by-13-inch baking pan and heat slightly on stove. Place rolls, cut side down, in pan. Let rise until almost double, then bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Invert on aluminum foil to cool. Cooled rolls can be frozen.

Note: Using the same proportions of brown sugar and whipping cream, topping can be increased as needed, depending on pan size.

Topping II

1 3/4 cups brown sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup butter

4 cups miniature marshmallows

In saucepan, combine the brown sugar, whipping cream, butter and marshmallows and warm all together, stirring frequently, until marshmallows melt. Pour into pan, arrange rolls on top, let rise and bake according to dough recipe. Invert over aluminum foil to cool.

Topping III

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup margarine

In saucepan, combine the sugars, ice cream and margarine. Bring to boil, stirring, then remove from heat, cool and pour over rolls before baking at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Sticky buns filling

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Brush rolled-out dough with melted butter; sprinkle evenly with the dark brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon; roll up and cut in slices.

Sticky buns topping

1/4 cup butter

4 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

About 3/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup pecan halves

In small saucepan, heat butter, sugar and syrup over low heat until butter is melted and mixture is smooth; pour into 9-by-13-inch baking pan (or pan specified in roll recipe).

Arrange pecan halves evenly on top, arrange rolls on top of pecan halves and proceed as directed in roll recipe.

The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Food section.