Sunshine

Orange rolls

I think Oregon’s gloomy and gray winter drives people to seek sunshine. So dark that I have to keep lights on all day today and pretend that the light bulb is the sun. I day- dreamed that I was somewhere in a warm place walking on a sandy beach, my hair blowing in the nice breeze and two little angelic people chasing me, calling me Nana. Buzzz, I was woken by sound of the washing machine signaling the finish. What a beautiful dream! Those children looked gorgeous!

We don’t get sunshine often this side of Northwest at this time of year. My husband is from southern Utah where pretty much everyday is sunshine. We moved to Oregon (and to Washington later and back in Oregon) where it rains a lot. He thought he couldn’t survive this much rain at first. Nagasaki, where I grew up, is well known for many rainy days. There is a famous Japanese song called ’Rain fell yet again today in Nagasaki’ (長崎は今日も雨だった）It is an often requested song at Karaoke bar in Japan by old folks. I know this song by heart and if you start singing it, it will be stuck in your brain forever. So rain didn’t affect me as much as him but gloominess is something different. All day shade is disheartening.

My husband agreed to make this rolls to cheer me up tomorrow because this needs overnight rest. This recipe is from ‘Simply so good’ and he loved it and has made it twice already. I can see the future with this recipe - many repeats.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 Tablespoon yeast
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 –5 cups flour

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water, set it aside for 5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together eggs, sugar and salt. Set it aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt butter then add milk. Slowly pour into egg mixture mixing all the time.
4. Add yeast mixture and 2 cups flour. Mix until dough is smooth. Add remaining flour 1 cup at time. Only use needed amount of flour to form a smooth yet sticky dough. Do not add more than 5 cups of flour.
5. Cover dough with plastic wrap or aluminum foil then place in refrigerator overnight.

Ingredients for Orange filling

• 1/2 cup butter-melted
• 1 cup sugar
• Juice from 1 orange
• Zest from 1 orange

Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and stir to blend.

Final stretch-Preheat oven to 375 F

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.

1. Butter or grease 2 muffin pans then set aside. (You can also do these like cinnamon rolls. I did half each way.)
2. Divide dough into two equal balls. Roll into a rectangle. Spread half the melted butter and orange mixture on the dough leaving 1/2 inch border around the sides.
3. Cut roll into 12 slices and place in prepared muffin pan.
4. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
5. Allow to rise until double in size.
6. Bake in a oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. When done baking, remove from pan by flipping the pans over onto a prepared cookie sheet.

Here is a picture of the other pan – cinnamon roll style.

These rolls are like sunshine in my stomach. Warm me way up so that I’m ready to go again to fight the crowds for last minute Christmas shopping.

On my son’s day off it is his turn to cook. He made pork chops, roasted Brussels sprouts, mashed potato with gravy and a can of corn.