Nana Rolls

On Thanksgiving Day, my mother made some delicious rolls, using a recipe from the October/November issue of Taste of Home magazine. The boys (especially Camden) loved these rolls, and promptly renamed them "Nana Rolls". They devoured two batches of them, so the day after my parents had headed back to Maine, I had two little boys begging for more Nana Rolls. I decided to try preparing them in my bread machine, using the dough cycle, and they came out great! To use a bread machine, you have to cut the recipe in half (you end up with 12 rolls). I'm going to share the recipe with you here as it appeared in the magazine, which makes 24 rolls, and does not utilize a bread machine. Give this recipe a try - - you will not be disappointed. I know that I will be making these rolls for years to come.

Perfect Dinner Rolls (a.k.a., Nana Rolls)

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1/4 cup non-dairy powdered creamer (you can also use dry milk powder)
2 1/4 tsp. salt
6-7 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, shortening, creamer, salt, and 5 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning once to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a roll. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks.