Butterscotch Crescent Rolls

Norma Mae Maher
August 8, 1918 – March 14, 1995
Springfield, Missouri

Norma Mae Maher was born on August 8, 1918, in Springfield, Missouri, the eldest daughter of a hardware store owner and a church choir director. She grew up in a house where Sunday dinner was as important as Sunday service, and where the kitchen was always stocked with flour, sugar, and butter, just in case company stopped by.

In 1940, she married James Maher, a traveling salesman who had a talent for storytelling and a habit of bringing home gifts from the road. Together, they raised two children through the war years, the postwar boom, and all the changes that came with the decades that followed. Norma kept the home running with her quick mind, sharp wit, and a knack for stretching a grocery budget without ever sacrificing flavor.

By the late 1970s, she had become the unofficial holiday baker in her family, famous for her light, buttery crescent rolls that appeared on every Thanksgiving and Christmas table. She clipped recipes from magazines, tinkered with them until they were perfect, and wrote them in neat cursive in a worn notebook that still sits in her family’s kitchens today.

A Love Letter
When I think of my grandma, I think of her in the kitchen. She was always doing something, rolling dough, folding laundry, or stirring something in a pot on the stove. Somehow she made it all look easy.

Her homemade crescent rolls were my favorite. The smell of them baking meant we were almost ready to eat. She would always give me one before they went to the table and say, “A baker should taste their work.”

She was not the type to say “I love you” all the time, but she showed it in other ways, slipping me a roll fresh from the oven, tucking a little money into my coat pocket, or mailing me recipes she thought I would like.

— Helen Maher Clark, Granddaughter

Author: Norma Mae Maher

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Butterscotch Crescent Rolls

These Butterscotch Crescent Rolls are a warm, gooey, and irresistible treat made with soft crescent roll dough, rich butterscotch flavor, and a sweet glaze on top. Perfect for holiday breakfasts, special occasions, or anytime you want a quick and delicious homemade pastry, this recipe delivers bakery-quality results right from your own oven.

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Ingredients

Dough

• 1 (3 3/4 oz.) pkg. butterscotch
• pudding & pie filling
• 1 (14 oz.) can evaporated
• milk (undiluted)
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup of water
• 2 eggs
• 4 1/2 to 5 c. all purpose four

Filling

• 1 1/4 c. melted butter
• 1/2 c. coconut
• 2/3 c. brown sugar
• 1/3 c. chopped pecans
• 2 T. flour

Glaze

• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. evaporated milk

Instructions

Dough

1. Cook the filling and milk together until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat, add butter and cool.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl.
3. Add filling mixture, eggs, salt and 1 c. flour. Beat well.
4. Add enough more flour to make a smooth dough.
5. Knead on lightly floured board until dough is smooth and elastic.
6. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover, let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
7. Divide dough into quarters. Roll each part to a 12 inch circle. Cut the circle into 8 wedges.
8. Place filling on long end of wedge and roll up to a point. Place with point down on lightly greased cookie sheet. Allow to rise again about 30 minutes.
9. Bake at 375°F for approximately 10 minutes or until brown.

Filling

1. Combine in a mixing bowl 1 1/4 c. melted butter, 1/2 c. coconut, 2/3 c. brown sugar, 1/3 c. chopped pecans and 2 T. flour.
2. Put a little on each wedge before rolling up

Glaze

1. 1/4 c. brown sugar, 2 T. butter, 2 T. evaporated milk. Boil these ingredients 1 minute.
2. Add 1 c. powdered sugar and enough milk to make a smooth glaze. Frost each roll while still warm. Cool on wire rack. These freeze in Tupperware very well and are ready to travel.

Notes

These old, handwritten recipes are shared exactly as they were passed down to us. You may need to measure with your heart, and some parts may be a bit unclear, but that’s all part of their charm. Happy cooking and baking!

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