Cinnamon Rolls from a 1945 Doughnut Recipe

[BettyR]

I found an article online from The Pittsburgh Press - March 1945. It was a discussion about raised doughnuts and it had this recipe. I rewrote the recipe to fit more modern times and made cinnamon rolls out of it. They are some of the best cinnamon rolls I've ever made so I thought I'd share.





Raised Doughnuts or Coffee Cake or Cinnamon Rolls


The Pittsburgh Press – March 16, 1945

1/2-cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4-cup lukewarm milk
1/4-cup water
1 packet yeast
Stir these ingredients until well blended. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.


1/4 cup shortening
1/4-cup butter
1/3-cup sugar
1/2-teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 beaten eggs
1-teaspoon vanilla
1/4-cup water
1/4-cup warm milk
4 cups all-purpose flour-sifted-separated

Cream fats and sugar until fluffy, beat in eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Beat in salt, lemon rind, lemon juice, and vanilla. Then add 2 cup of flour, water, milk and the yeast mixture and beat for 4 minutes. (I didn't have any lemon so I subbed 1 teaspoon of fruit fresh)

Change to dough hook, add the last 2 cups of flour and knead for 10 minutes on Kitchen Aid #3 speed.

Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Roll out as for cinnamon rolls, put filling in, roll up, cut into 12 pieces, place in pan and let rise for 35 minutes.

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180°.

 

[mollyanne]

ohmygoodness, betty...those look good enough to eat
Aren't you clever to adapt an oldie but goodie recipe to present day.
I have an antique recipe book 1908 and they used to spell it "receipt".

 

[BettyR]

Thanks but I'm really not all that clever...This is the original recipe, as you can see I used the same ingredients I just put it in a format that we can understand better.

Raised Doughnuts or Coffee Cake

The Pittsburgh Press – March 16, 1945

In a warm mixing bowl, place 1/2-cup all-purpose flour. Over it crumble 1 small cake compressed yeast. Make a hollow in the flour and pour into it 1/2-cup lukewarm milk and water mixed. Add 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar and stir these ingredients until well blended. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Cream 1/2 cup shortening (part butter), and gradually add 1/3-cup sugar. Add 1/2-teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 beaten eggs, 1-teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 cup water and milk mixed. Sift 4 cups all-purpose flour. Stir part of it into the shortening mixture. Add yeast mixture. Add remaining flour and knead well. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Roll dough 1/2-inch think, cut with floured doughnut cutter. Place on lightly floured board and let rise until doubled in bulk. Fri in deep fat, heated to 370°.

This is the same dough that is used for coffee cakes; instead of making it all into doughnuts, part may be made into coffee cake at the time of shaping the dough.

 

[Gracie's Kitchen]

Wow! Those look fantastic!

 

[powerplantop]

They do look good!

 

[BettyR]

Wow! Those look fantastic!

They do look good!

Thanks guys!!! I really appreciate it.

 

[forty_caliber]

Wow what a great looking recipe.

I've added it to MacGourmet for reference and intend to try it out at some point. You did a great job with the rewrite and made it much easier to understand than the original. The nutrition calculator came up with a whopping 512 calories per roll with a yield of 12...yikes.

I also added some filling and glaze glaze sub-recipes for convenience to my copy by appending the following:

Filling:

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter, unsalted, melted
​

Lemon Glaze

1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 cups confectioners' sugar
​

While dough is kneading, make the nutty filling by combining the brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, salt and melted butter, and stirring until smooth.

While the rolls are baking, combine the lemon juice and confectioner's sugar in a small mixing bowl. Glaze should be thick but pourable (adjust amounts to obtain desired consistency) Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Just how is it that such wonderful things such as cinnamon rolls can be sooooooo bad for you. I too have a cinnamon roll recipe that makes amazing treats. I posted it before and so won't here. I don't want to compete. It simply breaks my heart that I can't eat such things except of such rare occasions, and then only a tiny bit of one. I think that Heaven must be a place where you can eat cinnamon rolls without them affecting your health. And by the way, those look like such amazing cinnamon rolls. If I could, I'd transport them through cyberspace to my dining room, good for me or not.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[BettyR]

Wow what a great looking recipe.

I've added it to MacGourmet for reference and intend to try it out at some point. You did a great job with the rewrite and made it much easier to understand than the original. The nutrition calculator came up with a whopping 512 calories per roll with a yield of 12...yikes.

I also added some filling and glaze glaze sub-recipes for convenience to my copy by appending the following:

Filling:

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter, unsalted, melted
​

Lemon Glaze

1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 cups confectioners' sugar
​

While dough is kneading, make the nutty filling by combining the brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, salt and melted butter, and stirring until smooth.

While the rolls are baking, combine the lemon juice and confectioner's sugar in a small mixing bowl. Glaze should be thick but pourable (adjust amounts to obtain desired consistency) Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.

Thanks...
This is the filling that I usually use:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, cold

Of course everyone probably has their favorite... I use powdered sugar, vanilla and water in my frosting.

Just how is it that such wonderful things such as cinnamon rolls can be sooooooo bad for you. I too have a cinnamon roll recipe that makes amazing treats. I posted it before and so won't here. I don't want to compete. It simply breaks my heart that I can't eat such things except of such rare occasions, and then only a tiny bit of one. I think that Heaven must be a place where you can eat cinnamon rolls without them affecting your health. And by the way, those look like such amazing cinnamon rolls. If I could, I'd transport them through cyberspace to my dining room, good for me or not.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

As far as the calories go if you don't eat more than one a day and add a little extra time to your evening exercise it won't make you gain any. I just walk an extra couple of miles when I take my dogs out for their evening walk.