Orange Rolls...Deluxe

This recipe is modified a bit, but came originally from Rob's side of the family. Their traditional Christmas day breakfast includes...orange rolls, brunschweiger eggs, and a citrus salad. This recipe is easily doubled, or tripled. The dough can be frozen for future use. If zesting enough oranges for the dough and filling, you'll need about 5...if adding the frosting, you'll need an additional 3...bringing the total to 8 large oranges. (We eat the oranges after they've been zested, or you could juice them for use in the dough.)

Orange Rolls
DOUGH
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening
3 1/2 cups bread flour (all purpose is o.k. too)
2 1/2 tsp yeast
zest of 1 orange
FILLING
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp orange zest (about 3-4 large oranges)
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/4 cup butter, melted
Place dough ingredients in a bread machine and turn on the dough setting...OR place in a mixer with a dough hook and knead 10-15 minutes...OR mix all ingredients and knead by hand 20-25 minutes. When kneaded, cover and let rise until double....about 1hour. Wash oranges well. Using a zester, or small holes in a cheese grater, zest oranges, making sure to only get the outer layer and none of the white pith.Mix the sugar with the orange zest and set aside.Chop the nuts and set aside. After the dough has doubled, punch down and roll into a rectangle. Pour melted butter over the dough, and spread evenly. Evenly sprinkle the orange sugar and nuts over the dough. Starting on a long end, tightly roll up dough. Cut into 12 pieces. Place rolls in a greased cake pan. Heat the oven to 100 degrees. Place a pie pan of boiling water on the bottom rack. Place the rolls on the top rack and let rise 1 hour, or until double. Remove all pans from the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Put rolls back in, and bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Makes 1 dozen

FROSTING(optional)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp orange juice
1 1/2 Tbsp orange zest
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Spread over cooled rolls.

FREEZE
These will be like the frozen roll dough from the grocery store. After kneading, rising, punching down, filling, and forming rolls...place on a cookie sheet in the freezer for about 1 hour, or until frozen solid. Place in ziptop freezer bags...label and date. To thaw...place rolls into a greased cake pan, covered, in the refrigerator a few hours prior to baking....and follow the rest of the rising and baking proceedures above.