Lemon Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Cycle 7 started Tuesday. On the reduced dose. It is the best cycle so far — Sean kept eating through all five days. He slept more than usual but not the crushing sleep of earlier cycles. He made pancakes Saturday from the stool. Liam and Nora and I ate them. Sean ate one. His stomach is doing better. His weight has stabilized. Dr. Pei is pleased. I am guarded. The clinical knowledge I carry prevents me from being pleased in the full sense. I accept guarded.

Easter is in three weeks. The family will come to us, we decided — Sean cannot travel. My mother will drive down Saturday and cook with me. Grace will come Sunday with his sister. Everyone else will arrive Sunday. We will host. We will have maybe fifteen people. Maureen will make the lamb. I will make the ham and the deviled eggs (which I am now locked into as my permanent contribution). Grace will make her potatoes. It is an assembled meal from three kitchens and I am looking forward to it.

I baked soda bread Saturday — the raisin caraway, the Easter version. I practiced for the big day. It came out well. Sean had a slice warm with butter.

Liam's preschool is starting kindergarten-prep activities. He has a screening with the Quincy Public Schools in April. He will be in kindergarten at the local elementary school in the fall. He is ready academically — he knows his letters, he can read some words, he can count past a hundred, he can write his name, he can do basic addition for small numbers. He is emotionally a handful right now. The biting incident was two weeks ago. There has not been another, but I have been watching. Miss Alicia has been watching. She says he is processing a lot. She says he needs stability and patience and small consistent cues and naps. We are giving him all of those. He is getting through.

Nora at three is — easy, for now. She is eating. She is playing. She is making sentences. She said "Daddy is sick" Thursday. She said it to her stuffed sheep. I heard it from the kitchen. She said it factually. She did not seem upset. She was explaining the world to her sheep. Her sheep had asked — in her head — and she had answered. I did not intervene. I let her teach her sheep. I told Sean that night. He smiled. He said "at least she is processing it in the open." I said "yes."

I wrote Nora's age-7 letter Saturday. Sean was strong. He dictated. I typed. The letter is about colors and about sisters (she does not have a sister, so he was speculative about whether the friend-circle would become like sisters), and about her laugh, which he has always loved. He said "never apologize for laughing. Your laugh is the thing I wanted you to have from me. It is the best thing I can give you." I typed it. He signed "Love, Dad." I saved it. That is letter six for Nora. Seven more to go.

I practiced the soda bread Saturday — that one I have down — but I have been thinking about what else I want on the Easter table that is bright and easy and something the kids will actually reach for without prompting. These Lemon Hawaiian Sweet Rolls are going on the list. They are soft and a little sweet and the lemon lifts everything, which is exactly the kind of thing I want alongside the ham and the lamb and the assembled chaos of fifteen people in one house. Sean had the soda bread warm with butter and I thought: something like this, but lighter, is what the table needs.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes (plus 1 hour 30 minutes rising) | Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

3/4 cup warm whole milk (about 110°F)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup pineapple juice, warmed slightly
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
For the glaze: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1–2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

Activate the yeast. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Stir gently and let sit for 5–8 minutes until foamy and fragrant. If the mixture does not foam, your yeast may be expired — start again with a fresh packet.
Mix the wet ingredients. To the yeast mixture, add the warmed pineapple juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and the remaining granulated sugar. Whisk until well combined.
Build the dough. Add the salt and flour, one cup at a time, stirring between additions. Once a shaggy dough forms, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky (or use a stand mixer with the dough hook on medium for 6–7 minutes). The dough should pass the windowpane test — a small piece stretched thin should let light through without tearing.
First rise. Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shape the rolls. Punch the dough down gently. Divide into 12 equal pieces (about 80g each if you have a kitchen scale). Roll each piece into a smooth ball by cupping your hand over it and rolling on an unfloured surface with light pressure. Arrange in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish, spacing them close but not quite touching.
Second rise. Cover loosely and let the rolls rise again for 30–40 minutes, until puffed and touching each other. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake. Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the tops are golden and the center rolls are cooked through (an instant-read thermometer should read 190°F in the center). Tent loosely with foil after 15 minutes if the tops are browning too quickly.
Make the glaze. While the rolls bake, whisk together the melted butter, lemon juice, powdered sugar, milk, and lemon zest until smooth and pourable. Add milk a teaspoon at a time to reach a drizzleable consistency.
Glaze and serve. Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then drizzle the lemon glaze generously over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature. These are best the day they are made but can be covered and kept at room temperature overnight — warm briefly before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lemon Hawaiian Sweet Rolls — The Easter Bake I’ll Make Alongside the Soda Bread