Aunt Claras Rolls Recipes

AUNT CLARA'S FILLED MOLASSES COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Toss raisins and 1 teaspoon flour together in a saucepan until raisins are coated in flour. Stir 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and lemon juice into raisins. Pour 1 cup boiling water over raisin mixture; bring mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until raisins start to break down and mixture thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Stir 2 3/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
• Whisk melted shortening and molasses together in another bowl; stir in remaining vanilla extract. Dissolve baking soda in 1/3 cup boiling water. Stir soda water into molasses mixture until mixture foams and is well-combined. Stir flour mixture and molasses mixture together in a large bowl until a stiff dough forms.
• Divide dough into 2 balls; 1 dough ball for the bottom cookie rounds and 1 ball for the top cookie rounds. Cover 1 dough ball with a damp paper towel; roll remaining dough ball out to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into rounds using the top of a glass or a round cookie cutter. Place these bottom rounds 2-inches apart on a baking sheet. Top each dough round with 1 tablespoon of raisin filling mixture.
• Roll out remaining dough ball to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into rounds using the same cutter. Moisten fingers slightly with water and carefully work each top round from the center outwards until each is about 1/4-inch larger around than the bottom round. Working from one edge, place top round over bottom round and filling, pressing firmly to seal the cookie. Lightly press down tops of cookies to settle filling in the pocket.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookie is set, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool briefly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

AUNT SARAH'S ROLLS

Steps:

• Mix sugar, shortening, and salt (use cake beater attachment).
• Add one egg at a time, beat thoroughly until a smooth consistency.
• Separately mix 2 cups warm water and yeast, once dissolved in water add to above ingredients.
• Add 3 cups of flour.
• Switch to dough hook attachment add 4th cup of flour, should be sticky consistency.
• Add 5th cup of flour.
• Between the 6th and 7th cup of flour, stop adding flour when the dough comes cleanly away from walls of the bowl.
• Remove dough from bowl and form it into a ball - should be "smooth as a babies behind".
• Place in buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and place in refrigerator until double in bulk, which takes 1 ½ to 2 hours minimum.
• Soften salted butter (start with half a stick).
• Roll out dough to about ½ inch height.
• On floured surface, use 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter or small glass and dip the cut out dough in butter, smooth out dough, fold in half and pinch the ends closed.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place in pan ½ inch apart. Leave in warm room and bake after rolls double in bulk.
• Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until brown on top and slightly brown on bottom. Butter tops of rolls as soon as you remove from oven. Yields approximately 40 rolls.

AUNT CLARA'S RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Mix cold sticky rice with 1 egg beaten, parsley, parmesan, mozzarella, salt and pepper.
• Use Ice cream scoop to scoop up a rice ball.
• Hand roll ball; roll in flour; dip in beaten egg and roll in bread crumbs.
• Heat 1" cooking oil in pan on stovetop over Medium-high heat and brown until golden.
• Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
• Leftovers do well in microwave.