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Posted: 12.23.2001
If all else fails, swig the bourbon!
Here's an amusing story of my very first holiday roll attempt, for anyone that's ever had the fate of a family recipe-tradition resting in their hands.

Reading my comments made us both giggle. Holiday roll almost was the death of me the very first Thanksgiving I tried to make it! I can hold my own in the kitchen -- and have always done particularly well with pastries, cakes, and cookies. When my MIL handed down the family recipe, I was SO nervous (because it's such an annual tradition for Todd), but didn't think too much about it. I followed the directions to the letter -- and nothing happened. The dough didn't rise, and it was just this huge ol' 3-layer mess. I was almost in tears...

So I steeled myself up and sent Todd back out again for more supplies, determined not to be defeated, and tried it again. I made Todd watch and double-check me every step of the way. Same thing the second time. So I sent Todd back out for another trip to the store (keep in mind buying that many pecans was not cheap), and when he got back, I called his mom and had her on the phone practically every step of the way. Third time was not the charm.

I took so much ribbing for it, too. Everyone had heard tales of what a good cook I was, and something his mom could make 4-5 at a time was the death of me. We could NOT figure it out. So.....I decided funk dat.....and bought a different type of yeast than what came in the box the fourth time around. Yes, I was a glutton for punishment. But it was more of a mission at that point. (Reading over my shoulder as I type this, Todd says there was a fire in my eyes that was literally jumping out and burning people.) And it turned out picture-perfect that time!

Fast-forward a few weeks later to us flying home for the holidays. I was STILL taking ribbing and teasing for my first three flops as Todd's mom set out to make four one afternoon. We went to meet my sister in Tulsa that day, to promises of fresh holiday roll when we got home. I still can't believe his mom didn't try to hide the evidence -- but when we got back, we opened the door to four completely flat holiday rolls. The SAME THING had happened to her! The only thing we could figure out was that the yeast packets that came with the dough mix were faulty that year. It hasn't happened before or since. But forget baptism by fire. My baptism was covered in sticky cinnamon and sugar that year! And my heart stops each and every time to this day until I see that dough rising, too...







That story just absolutely cracks me up! I fear the day my mom gives me the family chex mix recipe. I tried making a ho-ho cake for a baby shower (it's just like a hostess ho-ho) and I couldn't get the creamy inside right. It was about to drive me nuts!

¤ ¤ posted by Sara on December 23, 2001 at 09:39 PM ¤ ¤

Speaking of Holiday Rolls, Thank you, May we have another?

Oh, it's so yummy. I had some when we finally got home. I just know we are going to gain 50 lbs in the amount of time it takes to eat it.

¤ ¤ posted by Michelle on December 23, 2001 at 10:17 PM ¤ ¤




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