Anna Olson's Dough & Cinnamon Rolls

Anna Olson was one of Grandma's dearest friends and I first met her when I was about five years old. She was absolutely precious and I remember she had the skin of an angel--or at least what I imagined an angel to have--no wrinkles, no blemishes, just smooth as silk--even well into her 60s and beyond (and this was long before skin clinics were on our speed dial). She also had only one arm, but I guess I never really paid attention. She was such a beautiful soul.

Much later, I discovered that Anna had been injured on the job working at a local pickle factory. Not sure of the details, but she suffered that devastating injury and was given a prosthetic that looked like a mannequin arm. In spite of this, she was an amazing cook and in a church cookbook from 1973, Grandma kept her recipe for cinnamon rolls. You could probably add a glaze on top, but maybe not having it was the secret to her perfect skin. I can hear Grandma say, "Just be satisfied with the rolls. They're delicious without all that extra sugar on top!"

ANNA OLSON'S ROLLS

1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening

Put in a pan and heat. Stir until all is dis-
solved. Dissolve 1 pkg. yeast in 1/2 cup warm
water. Pour all in a mixing bowl and add 1 1/2 cup
more of water. Add flour gradually until a soft
sponge. Be sure your water is quite warm and beat
well. Add flour until a soft dough and knead well.
Knead dough well on floured board (kneading makes

a finer grained bread). Grease bowl and return
dough to bowl. Put in a warm place to rise and
cover with a warm towel. Dough should be kept

in a 105⁰ to 110⁰ temperature. This recipe makes
2 dozen rolls and 20 cinnamon rolls.

CINNAMON ROLLS

Melt 1 cube margarine or butter and pour into pan
13" X 9" X 2". Keep warm.

Rollout 20 pieces of dough to about size of bread
sticks. Put them in pan with the shortening and
douse them around until covered with the shortening.
Have ready 2 heaping tsp. cinnamon and 1 cup brown
sugar to 2 cups of white sugar. Mix well. Take 5
or 6 of the pieces of dough and roll them in the
cinnamon and sugar and tie them in a knot oblong
and place them 5 in each row in a pan at the end.
Take out 5 more, etc. until all is finished. If
there is cinnamon and sugar left put in a jar and
keep until next time.

Mrs. Arthur (Anna) Olson

I love the last line: "If there is cinnamon and sugar left, put in a jar and keep until next time." That was the attitude of this generation--good stewardship even with a little cinnamon and sugar.