Key Lime-alade rolls for spring!

Hello, everybody! Mary Jane here and I have a great recipe for spring! Warm, sweet, and a little bit sour-- perfect!

First, isn't this the most beautiful rainbow? We saw it when we were working the Cub Scout fundraiser. The goal was to sell 20 bags of coffee or raise $125. We'd never sold anything before, so we Googled. Apparently, the first rule of marketing is to prove to your customers that your product has value. 

Hmmmm. How did we do that? We rented a coffee dispenser, brewed five gallons of coffee, and stood outside Walmart giving out free samples. (And cookies. Everyone loves cookies.) You know, a lot of people can't drink or don't want to drink coffee. But they would donate. 

Also, I paid my older kids to entertain us with some lively sea shanties, hymns, and folk songs. Probably half the money we made was from their playing but since busking is illegal in our town, I made sure to let people know they were supporting the Boy Scouts. Total raised? Over $2,000! So proud of all my kids pulling together and getting the job done. :)

 Now, for our spring recipe! We've made this lime "marmalade" before when Key limes are in season and love it as a glaze on cookies and cakes. This time, we made some sweet rolls with 2 tsp of lime zest, and added the glaze. PERFECT. Not too sweet. Not too sour.
                                      

So, the glaze needs 2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of water, 4 TBS of lime zest, and 1/2 cup lime juice, fresh squeezed. Boil everything together, then turn the heat down to a simmer and let it cook, stirring constantly for 20 minutes. It should reduce to a nice glaze. Taste it to make sure it's not too sweet. Add more lime juice if necessary.

Looks bad. Tastes SO GOOD.

 I like to add butter to mine because real butter makes everything better!!

For a garnish, lightly heat half slices of lime in a little bit of the syrup. Don't let it boil or the pith will make everything bitter. Enjoy!

Be sure to stop by my author pages at Mary Jane Hathaway and Virginia Carmichael for all my latest author news!

Deliciously fluffy butter rolls!

Hello, everybody! Mary Jane here with a great butter roll recipe. My only caveat with this is that you MUST leave room for them to rise while baking.

See, a little squished together so they didn't turn out as perfectly pretty as the picture.

Ingredients:

Mix 1TB yeast,1/2 tsp sugar with 1/4 cup warm water and let rise for ten minutes. 

Add one cup warmed milk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 cup sugar and mix with a wooden spoon.

Add one cup of flour to the second bowl and mix well. Add two eggs and beat until smooth. Add the yeast and mix well.

Now add 3-4 cups of flour. I used 3 1/2, just until it was firming up, but was still sticky.

Cover and place in a warm place to double in size, usually about two hours.

                                                     
When ready, take a lump of the dough and lay on a heavily floured surface. The dough should be very springy and full of air bubbles. Add a sprinkle of flour as needed.
                                                    
Roll about 1/4 inch and cut in triangles. You can make them as large or as small as you wish.
                                                    
Brush butter on the rolls and on a baking sheet. Place in a warm area and let rise for about an hour.

MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE MORE ROOM THAN WE DID.

Yup, they really did come out perfectly buttery and fluffy! They would have been even prettier if they hadn't grown into one giant roll, but hey, live and learn!

Until next time! Be sure to stop by my author pages at Mary Jane Hathaway and Virginia Carmichael for all my newest book news.