Vince Gill's Favorite Rolls

You'll notice that my cookbook collection is very random. If it looks funny, is related to something I like, or looks very unique I'll buy it. Even if the recipes look gross, I still buy it. This is one of those cookbooks that I ran across in a used book store that I thought was really cool. It has various music artists' favorite recipes. You can find out how the Grateful Dead like their corn, learn about Peter Gabriel's favorite minestrone, or view how Keith Richards likes his shepard pie.
I decided to try out Vince Gill's Favorite Rolls. I have a love/hate relationship with rolls. I love to eat them but I hate to make them because they never turn out right for me! I decided to take a break for a few years and tried again for my first time this afternoon. I was semi-successful. The recipe wants you to make clover rolls, where you put three small dough balls in a muffin tin and they bake together. I did a dozen rolls like this and another dozen in regular fashion of just one ball. For some reason the regular-shaped rolls rose but the clover rolls did not. Don't ask me why - this is why I'm not a baker. Overall, the rolls tasted great and actually weren't too hard to make!

VINCE GILL'S FAVORITE ROLLS

• 2 cups scalded milk, cooled to 105-115 degrees
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup melted shortening
• 5 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 24 muffin-pan cups.

Mix together milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add salt and egg, mix well. Add shortening, mix well. Work in the flour. Knead dough until smooth. Cut dough in half, cut each half into 36 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, place 3 balls in each muffin-pan cup. Repeat with remaining dough. Let rise, about 30 minutes, until doubled in size. Brush rolls with melted butter and bake 12-15 minutes until golden.