Orange Biscuit Rolls

Remember back when I made three different types of sweet rolls for Family supper? The definite winner was the Molasses Sticky Buns here. The orange rolls that I made were nice, but not great. So I was already thinking about what new recipe I would try. This is a recipe from an old Taste of Home magazine that Grandma Betty gave me years ago. I keep hoards of recipes, but sometimes it can take me years to actually make them.

I wanted to try this one and see if it could possible be the orange roll that I was looking for. I will admit that I grew up on the orange rolls that are in the tube at the grocery with the little frosting pack that you suck on when no one is looking. Terrible, I know, but we seek out the flavors of our youth, hopefully just in a more sophisticated manner.

I liked the sound of this recipe because you combine orange juice, sugar, butter, and orange peel to make a syrup that you pour into muffin tins before ever even starting on the actual roll. Sounded yum! And the lady who contributed it, a Ms Winifred Brown of Wilmette, Illinois, said that she had been enjoying this recipe since the 1940's. I'm all in, Ms Winifred!

First off I spotted where I was going to make changes before I even began to cook. I loved the beginning with the orange syrup. But then you make a plain dough without any orange to it at all. I changed that by added orange zest to the flour and I replaced 1/4 cup of the milk with orange juice. Then the recipe has you roll the dough and sprinkle only with cinnamon before rolling. NO sugar inside?! Well, you know that couldn't happen...

So I baked these up with my changes and it was a winner. It was distinctly orange-y, from the syrup through to the dough. It is a baking powder biscuit dough, unlike the other sweet rolls I made that were yeasted. The advantage to this is speed and ease. There is no rising or kneading time. You simply make, bake, and eat! 

Whew, blurry action shot. We're cooking now, folks!

Did they taste like the rolls of my childhood? No. But I think that actually requires lots of preservatives and artificial flavoring to recreate. I'm happy to say that all the orange here is from an actual fruit, not a lab. What these were, was tender, flavorful, and perfect for an impromptu gathering.

If you have never made biscuits before, it is so helpful to see the process! I actually made a video to show you the steps and not only can you see how it's done, but you can make fun of my accent as you go along ;). Here is the post with a link to the video, Ms. Sam Makes Biscuits.

Hubby had gone camping, and so Will and I had my folks and my son, Seth, over for an a nice brunch. Scrambled eggs with fresh herbs in a lovely tureen that my Pop gave me for Christmas years ago, a bowl of sticky sausage links, fresh orange rolls, and a hot pot of coffee. Combine that with good company and you have the recipe for a beautiful start to a Saturday! 

Orange Biscuit Rolls

You need two large fresh oranges for this recipe.
 Heat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small saucepan combine:
 zest of an orange
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
Mix and cook over medium heat for two minutes. Divide among the wells of 12 muffin cups and set the pan aside.

In a medium bowl combine :
2 cups flour
1Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of one orange 

To the bowl of flour add:
1/4 lard of shortening
Cut the fat into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture is in shaggy crumbs.

Mix in:
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup milk
Mix with a spoon until it comes together into a dough. Knead by folding over and pressing 10-12 times. Roll the dough into a 9 inch square about 1/2 inch thick. 


Melt:
3 Tbsp butter in the same small saucepan you used for the syrup, and brush over the dough.

Mix:
 1/3 cup sugar
 1/2 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over the butter. 
Roll up the dough and cut into 12 even slices. Place a slice in each muffin cup, on top of the orange syrup. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and puffed. Let cool for 1 minute and then turn out onto a platter to catch the syrupy goodness. Eat warm!