MY FAMILY ALWAYS “PUSHED OUT THE BOAT,” as we say in Ireland, when my dad’s brother, Monsignor John McMeel, would come to stay. My mother felt honored to have a man of the cloth among us, so she taught my brothers, sister, and me to lay out nicely folded napkins, wipe glasses before setting them out, and, of course, to offer the very best food.
Fragrant cinnamon rolls were just the thing for the mornings when he woke up at Rock Cottage. Their spicy-sweet smell filled the house in the morning before he’d say Mass to the multiple friends and relatives who’d come to hear it.
I love this recipe because the bit of potato changes the dough, making it less glutinous and feathery light. I can honestly say they’re like a little slice of heaven.
MAKES
1 DOZEN ROLLS
1 small floury potato, peeled and cut into
1-inch / 2.5-centimeter chunks
1½ teaspoons salt, divided
4½ cups / 540 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping
1 cup / 200 grams granulated sugar
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) / 173 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided, plus more for buttering pan
1 large egg
Canola oil, for oiling bowl
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups / 200 grams confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan over high heat, cover the potato with water by ½ inch / 1.3 centimeters and add ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cover the saucepan, bring the water to a boil, and cook the potato until it is fall-apart tender, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, ½ cup / 100 grams of the granulated sugar, the yeast, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.
Drain the potato, reserving 1¼ cups / 300 milliliters of the starchy cooking liquid, and put the potato through a ricer, discarding the skin. Add 4 tablespoons / 60 grams of the butter to the cooking liquid and stir until fully melted. When the butter mixture cools, add it to the dry ingredients along with the potato and the egg. Stir the batter with the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer on medium speed or by hand until smooth and fully combined.
Knead the dough with the dough hook or turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand until it feels smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of flour (only as necessary) to keep the dough from sticking.
Oil a large bowl with canola oil, place the dough inside, and turn it over to coat it lightly. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let the dough rise for about an hour, or until it doubles in size.
Butter a 13 × 9-inch / 32 × 22-centimeter baking dish. Punch down the dough, then transfer it to a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle about 8 × 12 inches / 20 × 30 centimeters. Spread the remaining 8 tablespoons / 113 grams of butter over the surface of the dough. Combine the remaining ½ cup / 100 grams of sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle this mixture in a thin, even layer over the butter. Starting from one of the long sides, roll up the dough as tightly as possible. Cut the roll into 12 slices and lay them in the buttered pan, cut-side up.
Cover the pan with a clean tea towel and let the rolls rise for about an hour, until they’re doubled in size.
While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Slide them into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until golden brown on top. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and milk, then whisk in the vanilla. Let the cinnamon rolls cool slightly, then drizzle on the icing and serve warm, or store in an airtight tin or plastic cake keeper for up to 3 days.