Aunt Hainey's Potato Rolls (Everybody's favorite)

1. Stir together in large bowl and set aside:

·         5 lbs. flour in large bowl or dishpan

·         2 eggs

·         2/3 C Crisco

·         1 C sugar

·         3 yeast cakes (or 3 envelopes or 6 ¾ tsps)

2. Boil until soft:

·         3 small potatoes

Save the potato water.

3. Mash potatoes with:

·         1 C sugar

·         2 TBLS salt

·         1 TBLS flour

  4.  Pour back enough of the saved water to make 2 quarts of the mashed potato mixture liquid.

5. Push/pour potato liquid thru sieve into top mixture.

6. Add enough flour to make dough easy to work. Knead until springy and bubbly (about 20-30 minutes). I usually ended up using at least 8 lbs flour total

7. Let rise until double/punch down. Let rise again/punch down. Let rise a third time and shape into rolls. Let rise again until double.

8. Rub each roll with milk, sprinkle with sugar, and bake 375 for 15-20 mins.  

Aunt Hainey’s father, T.A.Poffenberger, was a judge in Hagerstown, MD.  Aunt Hainey’s Mom, Annie Bell, did not like entertaining, so Aunt Hainey helped her mom in the kitchen, and Aunt Bess helped her Father entertain his guests.

Aunt Hainey (Her name was Helen)was born in 1896.  She said that her mother learned this recipe from her mother, Susanna (Emmert) Murray... This recipe is at least 150 – 175 years old.

Save a little of the dough for the cinnamon rolls!