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11 July 2012

How to Not Screw Up The Pioneer Woman's Orange Rolls

Oh, have you never made PW's orange rolls? I'm sorry.
You really should.

I know, I know, I know you're soooo busy this summer (not me) but you should probably move these up to the tippy top of your almighty to-do list and indulge a little tiny bit and make these beauties. You know the orangey breakfast rolls that come in the scary-when-is-it-going-to-POP can? They are like those (amazing) but infinitely better. These are like her cinnamon rolls' prettier and more fun red-headed cousin. Roll with me. Roll with my bad puns that I can't stop unrolling.
rolls rolled and uncut. stopping.

I'm generally a big fat failure in the baking department but that never stops me from ignoring the less than pristine house, letting the kids' faucet noses (in the summer? yes) run wild, and make scrambled eggs for a last minute dinner while I bake the day away in our not ventilated super hot kitchen. And so that is precisely what I did yesterday.

If you do decide to make the smartest decision of your adult life and make the rolls ... might I offer a bit of unsolicited advice so that you don't make the same dumbo mistakes that I did? Oh, good. You're nice.

1. When making the dough for the rolls be sure to follow her directions exactly. I've made the mistake of sprinkling the yeast on the milk/oil/sugar combo when it was still all but boiling twice and it makes for dough that woefully does not rise. "But, Grace, we already knew that. We've known that since we were mature 10-year-olds." Well, now you know again. Don't forget.

2. Her cookbook recommends rolling the dough out into a 10 inch x 30 inch rectangle. I would second that recommendation. 30 inches is a loooong rectangle
but it will make for many, many perfectly sized rolls. I shamelessly use a measuring tape because I am incapable of doing anything by myself.
I believe this was right before Julia sneezed. I still haven't forgiven her.

3. Don't bake all your rolls in one big pan.
Use shallow pie pans like she says to do. The middle rolls won't cook as evenly as the rest of them do and while I'm perfectly happy to eat soggy rolls you may as well just do as the master tells you. Ree knows best.

4. I know you'll see the rolls sitting so happily in their new home after you've cut them
and want to pop them into the oven lickety splitty but cover them and let them rise for about 20 minutes (just like she says to do!) before baking them.

5. I cut the icing recipe in half (only because there was a powdered sugar shortage in the pantry)
and it was more than enough. Maybe it was because all my rolls were in one pan -- easier to share icing space. I don't know. I'm a novice.

6. Allllll of these multiple steps to simply say: carefully follow the directions (unlike me) and you'll do fine.

*And these are totally baby-friendly. Skinny Sebastian has already eaten five (today).


18 comments:

  1. those are gorgeous and delicious looking. i love her. i love rolls. but if i made them i would eat the whole pan the be in a very bad mood. i wish i knew how to not do that. good job on all fronts, grace.

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  2. The master? Do you really consider Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman some kind of culinary genius? She put marmalade on yeast dough, rolled it and called them orange rolls for chrissakes. Groundbreaking!

    Earth to the blog owner: Ree Drummond's nothing less than a thief. She lifts recipes from church and community cookbooks and rarely credits her sources. Orange rolls is a readily available recipe available in numerous Jr. League cookbooks.

    http://themarlborowoman.com/rees-plagiarism/

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    Replies
    1. I would happily keep buying every! single! thing! that PW is selling if it keeps her in business. Just because the insane jealousy she inspires in people like you never ever fails to entertain.

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    2. You're pathetic.

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    3. What a hateful response. I sincerely hope you are not a member of said churches because your reply does not reflect it.

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  3. Whoa. That looks so yummy. We will be trying them!

    (Whoa to the comment, too. Does anybody actually believe that recipes shared online are original? All cooks borrow and adapt and share. Maybe we all need to be prosecuted.)

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  4. LOL @ the baking police. ;)
    Those look so yummy! In about 10 years when i find the desire to bake again, I shall try them!

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  5. 1. I think JDel should bake those rolls and bring them to the office.
    2. I think someone else has some sour grapes and could benefit from a hobby (other than tearing down hardworking stay-at-home mamas).

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  6. I almost did something similar today. I was going to bake Betty Crocker's brownies...have you heard of her? Anyway, I was going to, but I was out of eggs. I didn't even get a chance to scramble anything for dinner like you did.

    Mike came home and I said, "Leftover 6" of Subway - split two ways, sir."

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    Replies
    1. If you have applesauce you can sub it for eggs!

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  7. I've made and messed up those rolls before too but they are still delicious. I was just getting ready to ask where that really cute park was in STL and I see it was not here. We used to play on one of those things Simon was on way back when I was Julia's age.

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  8. These look AMAZING! I have a similar (family) recipe that I only trot out on major holidays, because they are an all day affair to make. But I laughed so hard at you description because I also use a measuring tape to measure my rectangle!! Very OCD of us....!

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  9. please please please tell me you've read her love story 'Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.' I read the entirety of it last summer in obnoxious blog post-sized installments because I was too cheap to buy the book, and it was still amazing.

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  10. Ah crap...now I have to make these. I'm drooling as I sit here in my bed reading blogs. Thanks a lot.

    :)

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  11. I've made just her regular cinnamon rolls and I broke out the tape measure, marked the countertop....I used a timer for all the timing, googled what scalding milk was, then proceeded to use meat thermometer to gauge ....but I'm so glad I did because they are very yummy....and Ree's pictures step by step are sooooo helpful.

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  12. SNEEZED! of courrrrrrrrrrse. I giggled OUT LOUD in my cubicle when I read that part. I'm not positive I have a 30 inch space on my kitchen counter, but I know I do in my cubicle. Should I prep them here?

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  13. Mmmmmmm, if there anything as delicious as her cinnamon rolls that we slave over and delight in eating every Christmas morning, then I must try them. Why don't you come bring me a few and I'll babysit for you the rest of the day?

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  14. Mmm I love me some soggy rolls - they are the best!

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