Christmas Traditions #1: Poppy Seed Rolls

When I was little, for Christmas, Grandma (or Great-Grandma, depending on your generation) Marsik would make poppy seed (and nut-) rolls for Christmas. I always liked them, but my mother didn't typically make them. So, by the time I was in high school (or maybe college) I was making poppy seed rolls myself. Here's the recipe I use, somewhat updated for modern bread machines.

Poppy Seed (Nut) Roll

2 cups flour 1 stick (1/4 lb.) butter A little salt (recipe calls for 1/2 t.) 1 T sugar 1 egg yolk (save the white) ~2 t. dry yeast 1/2 cup water (or a bit more, if you like)

Put all these ingredients into your bread machine and make dough. When it's done, divide it into two pieces, cover, and let them sit a while. Roll out dough fairly thin. (Recipe says "as thin as possible", but it is possible to make it too thin.) Spread it with some egg whites. (I'm not sure why I do this. Tradition, maybe.) Spread it with poppy seed, nut, or the filling of your choice. Roll it up! Cover and let sit a while. (30 minutes or so.) Spread top with egg whites. (This, I know, helps it to "brown".) Bake at 425F for 30 minutes.

One interesting question is "How much filling should I use?". It's really up to you. If you use half a can for one roll, it might be just a little sparse. I've been told that it's better with one can per roll, but it's a little heavy on the filling that way. Maybe 3 cans for 4 rolls can work, but I used one can per roll this year.

Frosting - 1/2 cup powdered sugar with a little milk & vanilla and food colouring of your (or your kids') choice. Put on roll (after it cools).

Yum.

In past years, I think I used double the butter by mistake, not correctly knowing the conversions between sticks, pounds, and ounces. Or maybe I used half the butter. It still worked out. It's quite a flexible recipe. One year (many years ago) a friend helped me bake poppy seed rolls. As her mother would say, if you double the butter, it will just be a little richer.

Of course, you need helpers, too.