CHRISTMAS IS FOR KIDS 4: BAKING

I inadvertently made a hit with Ishbel when I baked a special festive creation by way of a dry run for Christmas dinner.

Every Christmas my mother made dinner rolls, actually I think they were bridge rolls, i.e. little rolls she made when ladies came for a bridge evening.  I recall Parkerhouse Rolls being the name for these but thought they were more butterfly half circle in shape.   (I have just looked up Parkerhouse Rolls and, indeed, it seems the name is used for both flattened half circle and ball shapes.)

Anyhow .... I thought I would make a wreath and use something in the middle for dipping or spreading on the bread.  Wouldn't you know it ... I walked into Marks and Spencer locally and found the very thing.  In fact I found 2 candidates and bought both.  I tried this one in the photo: Welsh Rarebit in a ceramic dish.  (The second which I will use on Christmas Day is French Brie cheese in a wooden box which is OK for the oven. It cooks at the same time as the rolls - buns if your American -  and ends up bubbly and gooey.)

I used a basic bread recipe and the whole thing gets baked together.  They are, of course, a yeast based dinner roll and I think they are supposed to be fairly rich, i.e. up the amount of fat and use milk in the liquid.

I am quite delighted with the result mainly because this is something the kids will eat along with everyone else before we head to the table for dinner.

I made the extra dough into three little balls per muffin tin section .... which is what I recall my mother doing as another variation in her bridge rolls. These rolls turn out like trefoils which are very easy to break open from its position on your side plate at the dinner table.