Her name is Kathleen Burkett. She is 89 years young, has been a member of Lexington Baptist Church in Lexington for 63 years, has seven children and 33 great-grandchildren. And she is a delightful person.
She and her late husband, Max Ezelle Burkett, were from Leesville and moved to Lexington in 1942. Max died 27 years ago, and one of Kathleen’s granddaughters, Rhonda Datman, lives with her. Kathleen does most of her housework and is in good health.
During the years she has been at Lexington Baptist, there have been changes. On the first Sunday of January 2009, the church started a contemporary service at 11:30 a.m. to complement the traditional services at 9 and 10:15 a.m. Mike Turner is senior pastor. For the three services, attendance has been 1,500-1,600 each week.
Kathleen has done her part. For 17 years, she and Evelyn Alewine taught in the Junior Sunday School and she also had a children’s Training Union group. Over the years, she has gone on several church-sponsored trips.
There was a period many years ago when her husband was ill that she didn’t attend regularly, but now she is in a Sunday school class and serves as the outreach leader. Along with Vienna Teal and others, she goes to an assisted living facility to lead devotionals, and with Jennie Thompson and others she also helps lead the residents with craft projects.
On the second Sunday of each month, her family (or as many can come) gather for the noon meal. The hostess cooks the meat and other family members fill out the menu.
Kathleen doesn’t remember where she got this recipe for Refrigerator Rolls, but she says it was probably from her mother. She doesn’t make these often now, but cooked them frequently in the past. In times past, every homemaker knew how to make yeast-risen rolls, and the instruction for doing so was basic to home economics classes.
There are many recipes, but they are all similar. Some use lard, some potato water, some use only water, others milk, etc. Most require a rising before the dough is punched down, shaped, then allowed to rise again before baking. The refrigerator roll recipe will keep two weeks or so. When I made the recipe, I covered the dough with plastic wrap touching it, then covered the bowl with another piece of plastic wrap.
The people sitting at your table will thank you, just as we thank Kathleen, if you mix and refrigerate these rolls during the week, then take them from the fridge, shape and bake for … Sunday Dinner.
Refrigerator Rolls
6 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
1¼-ounce package yeast
2 cups warm water
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 egg, slightly beaten
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and sugar. Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add the shortening, egg, and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix gently as you would biscuit dough.
Place dough in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Will keep two weeks or so in the fridge.
When ready to use, remove from refrigerator all or only the portion you need. Roll, shape*, and bake at 375 degrees about 10-15 minutes.
*Plain rolls: Shape as biscuits, cut a slit down center top about ¼ the depth of the roll.
Cloverleaf: Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 3 balls in each greased muffin tin cup.
Crescent: Roll dough, cut into triangles, then roll beginning at wide end opposite the point.
Parker House: Cut rolled dough into 2-inch circles. Make a slight cut on top about ⅓ from the edge. Fold the ⅔ part over the ⅓ part.