John came home from the store the other day with Parker House Rolls out of the bakery.  I don’t recall ever having these before, but I have heard of them.  These were so light and sweet!  Just sooo delicious!  So of course I went on a hunt to make them myself.  I’ve started going to Mom’s Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook from 1948……and there was Parker House Rolls!  “Call them Parker House or pocketbooks; they’re easy to make for the youngest cook.”   

Parker House Rolls

2 TBL shortening (I used lard)

1 tsp salt

¼ c sugar

1 cake yeast (1 scant TBL or 1 pkg dry yeast)

1 ½ c lukewarm water

3 ½ c sifted flour

1 egg, well beaten

Melted butter

Add shortening, salt, sugar and crumbled yeast cake (or dry yeast) to water, stir until shortening is melted.

Stir in sifted flour, cover and set in a warm place, free from drafts to rise.

When doubled in bulk, add egg.  Knead lightly and let rise again until doubled in bulk.  I did this right in the bowl with the back of the spoon, as it is quite wet.

Roll out 1/2” thick on well-floured board.  Well floured is very important!!  This is a quite wet dough!  I sprinkled flour on top and did a light knead as well, before patting out.

Cut with a 2” biscuit cutter, crease in center with a dull knife, brush with melted butter (I just dabbed into a bowl of melted butter), and fold over, pinching the dough at sides to make a pocketbook.   Place on baking sheet and brush tops with melted butter.  Let rise.

Bake in hot oven (400F) about 20 minutes.  Makes 24 (mine made 34).

These are so light and fluffy!  Which amazed me as there is no kneading in the first rise, stirring in egg after the first rise, then a light knead (right in bowl with back of spoon)……I wonder how a whole loaf of bread would work?