Grandma’s Refrigerator Rolls Recipe (And Bonus! Sweet and Sour Chicken)

Kurt B. Reighley

My adolescence in suburban Northern Virginia was storied, to say the least, but among the things I’d list in the “pro” category was our local paper. That’s right: Our tiny town actually supported a weekly independent newspaper. This is undoubtedly where I developed my unrealistic expectation that I should be featured in a prominent media outlet at least once every 3-4 months. Looking online, I see that the Herndon Observer only ceased publication in mid-2010. That’s better than a lot of periodicals that have wasted valuable column inches documenting my misadventures in the arts.

My favorite section of the Observer was “Neighbor To Neighbor,” a column penned by Anne Crocker, one of the earthier gals from St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. Every week she spotlighted a local homemaker and her recipes. My Mom was the designated Neighbor on April 1, 1977, about two years after we’d moved to Herndon from Pasadena, California. Among the four recipes she shared was one that I remember well from holiday gatherings: Refrigerator Rolls. What I didn’t realize back then was that this recipe had been handed down from her Mom, my maternal grandmother. I’m well aware of the influence of my Dad’s mom on our family cookbook, for better (tandoori chicken) and worse (tomato pudding), but this is the only instance that springs to mind of the culinary legacy of the Tucker side of the clan on our dining table.

I’m also including Mom’s recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken, as she was—and still is—especially proud of it. It subsequently appeared in several church and charitable cookbooks. I suspect she’s probably modified it with the passing of years, to keep up with “eating light” trends, but this is the version I remember from childhood. For all the trouble I gave my Mom when I was an adolescent, I’ll always be grateful to her for instilling me with an appreciation for the domestic arts. And don’t be deceived by the excerpts below. In addition to keeping house and raising my brother and me, Mom also worked two days a week as a dental hygienist, attended math and science classes at the community college, and volunteered at the church and for our scouting troops, too. (And yet she insists I got my workaholic tendencies from my Dad. Yeah, right.)

*    *   *   *   *

Sewing is more than a hobby for Carolyn, who makes most of the clothing her family wears. Her well-designed and organized sewing-laundry room is a homemaker’s dream and reflects the efficiency with which Carolyn keeps the beautiful Reighley home. Her hobbies include crocheting and embroidery.

Carolyn likes to cook and often experiments with recipes to make them uniquely her own. The following roll recipe is from her mother’s collection. They can be made with half whole wheat flour. Carolyn uses the dough hook attachment to her mix to make these, eliminating the hand kneading. The sweet and sour chicken is a good company dish – it doesn’t dry out if kept in the over on “Warm” for up to an hour past the baking time.

REFRIGERATOR ROLLS

1 cup milk
1 cup water
¼ cup shortening
5 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 package yeast
Soak yeast in ¼ cup water with 1 teaspoon sugar added
1 egg
6 cups flourScald milk, cool and add water, sugar, shortening, 3 cups of the flour, soda, and baking powder. Beat well. Add the yeast, beat again and let rise ½ hour in a warm place until bubbly. Add the egg, salt and remaining flour gradually. Knead well, place in bowl and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Mark out what rolls you want immediately and store the rest of the dough to use as desired. This may be used as a tea ring, cinnamon rolls, etc. Give the rolls three hours to rise at room temperature after being in the refrigerator. 

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

1 cup milk
1 cup water
¼ cup shortening
5 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 package yeast
Soak yeast in ¼ cup water with 1 teaspoon sugar added
1 egg
6 cups flour

Wash and dry chicken. Coat with flour. Heat oil in pan. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Remove as browned to shallow roasting pan, arranging pieces skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350.

Make Sauce: Drain pineapple, pouring syrup into 2 cup measure. Add water to make 1¼ cups. In medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, pineapple syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and bullion cube; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 2 minutes. Add pineapple and green peppers, bake 30 minutes or longer. Makes 4 servings.