Today’s recipe won the Des Moines Register’s Memories of Mom recipe contest and was announced in the Mother’s Day edition of the Register. I modified the recipe by cutting the sugar, using half whole wheat flour and half unbleached white flour, and substituting water for the milk to make it dairy-free. The rolls were light and fluffy and had just a hint of sweet. Delicious!
That said, here’s my version of Marjorie Peterson’s original orange roll recipe, along with many, many thanks to Marjorie and her family for sharing this delectable dish!
Marjorie Peterson’s Orange Rolls, Dairy-Free Version
1/2 cup warm water
2 packages dry yeast
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) Earth Balance buttery vegan sticks
2 eggs, well-beaten
3–4 cups whole wheat flour
3–4 cups unbleached white flour
grated rind of 1 orange
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons softened Earth Balance buttery vegan stick
Directions for rolls:
- Add 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and 1 buttery vegan stick to boiling water. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour into large mixing bowl. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
- Dissolve dry yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water.
- Once water/sugar/salt/buttery vegan stick has cooled to lukewarm, add yeast and eggs to it. Stir well.
- Beat in about 6 cups of flour. Turn dough onto a well-floured surface.
- Knead dough until soft and pliable (about 7 minutes), adding more flour as needed.
- Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth. Set in a warm place and let rise until double.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and punch down. Divide in half and roll each half into an oblong shape. Spread each half with a tablespoon of soft buttery vegan stick, 1/2 grated orange rind, and 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Starting with a long edge, roll into a tube. Slice each tube into 24 rolls and place in a well-greased 9 x 13 pan.
- Set in warm place to rise until double again.
- Bake at 375° for 20 minutes
Directions for frosting: Melt 2 tablespoons of vegan buttery stick in a saucepan. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar. Add the juice of an orange, teaspoon by teaspoon until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Spread frosting on rolls, dividing it equally between the two pans.
