Marian Platt

When September arrives, it is called by some the bittersweet time of year for it brings with it a twinge of sadness. It is definitely the "turning point" of the year. Many of us feel another year has passed. Summer is fading fast and fall is soon to arrive - you can feel it in the air these cooler mornings. It is a time for new beginnings for many of us. School starts, classes begin, clubs become active and for those of us with vegetable gardens, we are harvesting the last of our crops.

With that twinge of sadness comes that intangible feeling of nostalgia. We tend to remember summers past - running barefoot, picking the fresh fruit off the tree in the backyard, homemade ice cream made by cranking, breaking in new shoes - and maybe some places we ate when we were young.

I was a child in the 1930s and have vivid memories of a place on North Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, Calif., called the Tick Tock Tea Room, and it had the best orange sticky rolls. A basket of those rolls preceded every meal. The Tick Tock closed its doors in 1988 after a half century of good, humble cooking at affordable prices.

What fun it was to discover their recipe in a magazine a few years ago.



TICK TOCK ORANGE STICKY ROLLS

Orange Glaze

1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter



Orange-Cinnamon Filling

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted



Biscuit Dough

2 3/4 cups flour, plus extra for work surface

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted



For the glaze: Grease 9-inch cake pan. Bring all ingredients to simmer in small pan over medium heat. Cook until mixture thickens and clings to back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Cool until glaze hardens, at least 20 minutes.

For the filling: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except butter in bowl. Using fork, stir in butter until mixture resembles wet sand.

For the dough: Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl. Whisk buttermilk and butter in small bowl (mixture will clump), then stir into flour mixture until combined. Knead dough on lightly floured work surface until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Roll dough into 12- x 9-inch rectangle. Pat filling into dough, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Starting at one long end, roll dough into tight cylinder and pinch seam together. Cut log into eight pieces and arrange cut side down on cooled glaze, placing 1 roll in center and remaining rolls around edge of pan.

Bake until rolls are golden and glaze is darkened and bubbling, 18-25 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto platter. Let rolls sit 10 minutes before serving.



Orange rolls are a delightful way to begin a morning - here are some quick and easy ones.



DIANE'S ORANGE ROLLS

Cook 1 cube butter, 3/4 cup sugar and rind of two oranges until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and dip each biscuit from 2 packages canned biscuits into mixture until both sides have been covered. Line a round pan, stacking biscuits 3 high. Bake according to the directions on the biscuit cans (usually takes a little longer). Pull apart like monkey-bread and serve hot.



Here are some UPSIDE-DOWN ORANGE ROLLS

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in shallow baking pan. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice and 1 teaspoon grated orange peel. Cool. Arrange 1 package refrigerator biscuits on top of mixture. Bake in preheated 425-degree oven 12-15 minutes or until brown. Turn upside immediately and serve hot.



More ORANGE BREAKFAST ROLLS

6 frozen bread dough rolls, thawed

4 teaspoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon orange juice

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel



Orange Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1/8 teaspoon grated orange peel

On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into an 8-inch rope. Flatten to 1 1/2-inch wide strip. Combine the butter, sugar, orange juice and peel; spread over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Pinch ends to seal. Place in a greased 8-inch-square baking dish. Cover and let stand in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm rolls.

from Taste of Home's "Cooking For One or Two"



ORANGE MARMALADE-FILLED CRESCENT ROLLS

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Add 1/3 cup orange marmalade and mix well. Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of each crescent roll from 1 package refrigerated crescent rolls. Roll up and bake in preheated 350-degree oven 20 minutes.

Recipe from my files.



Most everywhere the air is cool and clear now. Hillsides are robed in seasonal mustard golds, peppery reds, cinnamon tans and nutmeg browns. The sky is a limitless blue and the sun bright, like a fine wine. What better time of the year to make orange rolls for breakfast - adding that extra little zip of orange to a fresh fall morning.



Copyright. Marian Platt, Sequim, 2010. Marian Platt can be reached at 683-4691 or via e-mail at mlplatt@olypen.com.