Honey Dreams are so completely divine. Even the name is delicious. Fresh off the griddle, these no bake mini rolls are the perfect baby vessels for creamy, sweet honey butter. They leave people in silence as they eat in dreamy silence. I came across this recipe in one of my favorite WWII cookbooks Thrifty Meals for Wartime by Alice B. Winn-Smith published in 1942. And ever since I first tried them, I haven’t been able to forget them.
The great thing about Honey Dreams is that you don’t bake them in the oven, but on a pancake griddle! They would make a great campfire delicacy, and they look a little like marshmallows too, don’t they?
What you’ll need:
Griddle
Small biscuit cutter (I used a 3″)
A stand mixer or bread machine make kneading go faster, but aren’t necessary. If you don’t have a machine, a dough whisk is an amazing tool for mixing bread dough by hand!
Sieve or sifter to sift your flour
Rolling pin
Honey Butter Instructions:
Cream together a half to half ratio of honey and softened butter. If you’ll be feeding a crowd, go with a 1/2 c. of butter and a 1/2 c. of honey. If you plan on keeping these all to yourself (and I don’t blame you… sssh, you’re secret’s safe with me), then a 1/4 c. of butter and 1/4 c. of honey might be a better proportion. Set this aside so you’ll be ready when those Honey Dreams come rolling off the grill.
Bread Ingredients & Instructions:
1 c. boiling water
1 c. scalded milk
2 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
1 Tbsp. shortening (or a mild oil like canola)
1 package yeast or 2 1/2 tsp. yeast
6-8 c. sifted bread flour (don’t skip the sift!)
Place the salt, sugar or honey, and shortening into the bowl of your stand mixer, bread machine or regular bowl in not using a machine.
Pour in the boiling water and scalded milk. Let cool until lukewarm.
Add the yeast, then add at least 6 cups of the flour. Add more as needed until the batter becomes a dough stiff enough to knead. (The flour amount will change based on your humidity levels.)
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. and not sticky to the touch. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until it has tripled in size. Knead lightly and let it rise to triple its size again.
Punch the dough down to get out all the air and let it rest 10 minutes. Roll the dough to 1/2 ” thick with a rolling pin and cut out the rolls with a small biscuit cutter. (I used a 2″ cutter.)
Let them rise on a surface lightly dusted with flour until about an inch high. Fry slowly on a hot, lightly greased pancake griddle heated to about 250°F. Turn to brown well on both sides. Cook for about 20-30 minutes total.
Serve hot with the soft honey butter. Serves 1 – 6
Fresh off the griddle, this 1942 recipe for Honey Dreams make the most amazing no bake mini rolls that are perfect for spreading with homemade honey butter.
Ingredients
1 c. boiling water
1 c. scalded milk
2 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
1 Tbsp. shortening (or a mild oil like canola)
1 package yeast or 2 1/2 tsp. yeast
6-8 c. sifted bread flour (don't skip the sift!)
Instructions
Pour in the boiling water and scalded milk. Let cool until lukewarm. Add the yeast, then add at least 6 cups of the flour. Add more as needed until the batter becomes a dough stiff enough to knead. (The flour amount will change based on your humidity levels.)
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. and not sticky to the touch. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until it has tripled in size. Knead lightly and let it rise to triple its size again.
Punch the dough down to get out all the air and let it rest 10 minutes. Roll the dough to 1/2 " thick with a rolling pin and cut out the rolls with a small biscuit cutter. (I used a 2" cutter.)
Let them rise on a surface lightly dusted with flour until about an inch high. Fry slowly on a hot, lightly greased pancake griddle heated to about 200-250°F. Turn to brown well on both sides. Cook for about 20-30 minutes total.
