A Favorite Holiday Recipe
“The Salinas was only a part-time river. The summer sun drove it underground. It was not a fine river at all, but was it was the only one we had and so we boasted about it-how dangerous it was in a wet winter and how dry it was in a dry summer. You can boast about anything if it’s all you have. Maybe the less you have, the more you are required to boast.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Inspiration
We don’t do holidays without the appearance of these Sweet Rolls. It’s a tradition my mom started. She would make a double batch, filling up an entire cookie sheet. The cookie sheet had low sides and the Sweet Rolls around the edges would puff up and over the outside of the pan. I remember my mom icing the rolls, the glaze would run over the edge of the pan onto the counter. While we waited for breakfast, eight little hands would greedily scoop up the overflowing icing. Straight up sugar before breakfast is unforgettable, especially on Christmas morning. The double batch of Sweet Rolls never lasted the day. Homemade fudge, cookies and stollen had to wait their turn. Fruitcake didn’t stand a chance.
