How To make Lorraine's Dinner Or Cinnamon Rolls

ROLLS:

3 Eggs
1 c Boiling water
3/4 c Shortening
3/4 c Sugar
1 tb Salt
2 Envelopes dry yeast,
- dissolved in 1/2 cup - lukewarm water 1 c Lukewarm water
8 c Flour
1/2 c Melted butter
1 c Sugar, *combined with*
1 tb Cinnamon (optional)
1 c Raisins
Glaze (recipe follows)

GLAZE:

1 lb Confectioners' sugar
1/4 c Milk
1 ts Vanilla
1/4 lb Butter, softened
Beat eggs until frothy; set aside. In large bowl, add boiling water to shortening, sugar and salt. Add 1 cup lukewarm water. In separate bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. When first mixture is lukewarm, add yeast mixture. Add flour until batter is beatable, then keep adding until you can barely handle sticky dough. Knead lightly to mix. Dough should be slightly sticky. Put in well-greased bowl and cover loosely. Place in warm area to rise. When dough has doubled in size and is very light, punch down and divide into 4 equal pieces. I usually make a half-batch of each kind. To make crescent rolls, roll each piece to 10 inches in diameter. Cut into 12 pie-shaped pieces. Brush pieces with melted butter and roll up tightly, beginning at wide end. Seal points firmly. Place on greased baking sheets, about 1 inch apart with points tucked under. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. While still warm, brush with melted butter. To make cinnamon rolls, brush 4 pieces of dough with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and raisins. Roll up jellyroll-style and cut each into 12 pieces. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Glaze rolls while still hot. Makes 48 rolls. GLAZE: Combine ingredients and beat until smooth and pretty thin. Spread over hot rolls. -----