How to Not Screw Up The Pioneer Woman's Orange Rolls

Oh, have you never made PW's orange rolls? I'm sorry.

You really should.

I know, I know, I know you're soooo busy this summer (not me) but you should probably move these up to the tippy top of your almighty to-do list and indulge a little tiny bit and make these beauties. You know the orangey breakfast rolls that come in the scary-when-is-it-going-to-POP can? They are like those (amazing) but infinitely better. These are like her cinnamon rolls' prettier and more fun red-headed cousin. Roll with me. Roll with my bad puns that I can't stop unrolling.

rolls rolled and uncut. stopping.

I'm generally a big fat failure in the baking department but that never stops me from ignoring the less than pristine house, letting the kids' faucet noses (in the summer? yes) run wild, and make scrambled eggs for a last minute dinner while I bake the day away in our not ventilated super hot kitchen. And so that is precisely what I did yesterday.

If you do decide to make the smartest decision of your adult life and make the rolls ... might I offer a bit of unsolicited advice so that you don't make the same dumbo mistakes that I did? Oh, good. You're nice.

1. When making the dough for the rolls be sure to follow her directions exactly. I've made the mistake of sprinkling the yeast on the milk/oil/sugar combo when it was still all but boiling twice and it makes for dough that woefully does not rise. "But, Grace, we already knew that. We've known that since we were mature 10-year-olds." Well, now you know again. Don't forget.

2. Her cookbook recommends rolling the dough out into a 10 inch x 30 inch rectangle. I would second that recommendation. 30 inches is a loooong rectangle

but it will make for many, many perfectly sized rolls. I shamelessly use a measuring tape because I am incapable of doing anything by myself.

I believe this was right before Julia sneezed. I still haven't forgiven her.

3. Don't bake all your rolls in one big pan.

Use shallow pie pans like she says to do. The middle rolls won't cook as evenly as the rest of them do and while I'm perfectly happy to eat soggy rolls you may as well just do as the master tells you. Ree knows best.

4. I know you'll see the rolls sitting so happily in their new home after you've cut them

and want to pop them into the oven lickety splitty but cover them and let them rise for about 20 minutes (just like she says to do!) before baking them.

5. I cut the icing recipe in half (only because there was a powdered sugar shortage in the pantry)

and it was more than enough. Maybe it was because all my rolls were in one pan -- easier to share icing space. I don't know. I'm a novice.

6. Allllll of these multiple steps to simply say: carefully follow the directions (unlike me) and you'll do fine.

*And these are totally baby-friendly. Skinny Sebastian has already eaten five (today).