How to be the Favorite – Part 1

From time to time, we get tired of being the forgotten child.  We spend so much time doing for others, that we wonder if we are being taken advantage of.  Just once, we would really like to be the ‘favorite’!  Well, getting to that status might just be easier than you think.  If you really want to become the favorite, even if it is just for a few hours, or a day, follow along with this Favorite Series.  It does involve cooking; after all, that old adage about the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach is mostly true.  But at least we can see what it feels like to actually be the favorite!

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You Know You are the Favorite When…

You know you are everyone’s favorite when they figure out you know how to bake bread…right? I am not the ‘favorite’ often, but you can bet that if we are having a family gathering that involves food, suddenly I gain some status.

The conversations usually go something like this:

“I don’t know what I am going to bring.  Julie is bringing Dot’s rolls, right?” (This is said more of a demand, rather than a question.)

“I don’t care what you bring, but Julie will bring Dot’s rolls.”  (Keep in mind, I haven’t been asked.  It is a general assumption on the part of the family.  One I don’t have the courage to debunk.)

So.  For most family gatherings, I am busy in the kitchen making a double batch of Dot’s hot rolls.  Dot started the tradition, and woe to Dot if she changed it up and made cornbread.  Her rolls were legendary.  Left overs were taken home to make some of the most delicious sandwiches using all the other leftovers.  My favorite sandwich by far is using Thanksgiving leftovers using a roll for the bread, a slice of turkey, a slice of cheese, a super light spread of mayonnaise, and a dollop of cranberry sauce. That sandwich in itself is a feast!

Do you want to make ‘favorite’ status this year? Then try your hand at making Dot’s Batter rolls.  It is almost guaranteed to shoot you right to the top!

Dot’s Batter Rolls

3/4 cup Milk
1/2 stick Butter
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup Warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 pkgs. Yeast
1 egg, beaten
3-1/2 cups unsifted Flour

Heat milk, sugar, salt and butter until lukewarm (110-115 degrees) and butter is melted. Set aside.

Put water in a large bowl. Add yeast, stir until dissolved. Add milk mix, egg and two cups of flour. Mix until smooth.

Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Cover and let rise until double in bulk, approximately 30 minutes. Punch down.

Place dough on a floured board. Shape into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, approximately 45 minutes.

Bake in oven at 400 degrees until brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Here’s a Tip: 

Use a seed warming mat or hot towel to keep the bowl warm while mixing your ingredients and to help keep the dough slightly warm during rising.  This isn’t going to warm the bowl to 85 degrees, but it does help keep the chill off during those cold winter days.

Stick around – more tips for becoming the ‘Favorite’ are just around the corner!

If you love to bake, visit me in the Kitchen for some great cookbook selections!

Love to bake and want to share that love with others?  Become a Baking Mentor!

• Author Details

The Farm Wife

The Farm Wife

https://www.thefarmwife.com

juliemurphree@hotmail.com

Julie Murphree is a blogger, newspaper columnist, and speaker on all things ‘Living a Simple Life on the Farm’. She is the author of \\\'The Farm Wife – Living a Simple Life on the Farm. She and her husband have 60 acres in NW Louisiana where they actively work on living as sustainable as possible.