portuguese sweet rolls

Except for the odd grilled cheese or (plain) pasta day, C.'s not a school lunch kind of kid. And I fear I've spoiled him by having fresh baked goods at the ready. In the past, he'd often take a few pieces of baguette or sometimes these garlic and cheese biscuits (easy to make in a jiffy), but since he's gotten his palate expander, crustier breads are off limits and I've been on a quest to find something more appropriate.

I baked him some Portuguese Sweet Rolls for this week's lunch. I omitted the lemon oil because I didn't think that would fly with him, and the vanilla as well, because I didn't remember tasting vanilla in the rolls I've had before. Per the instructions, I baked them in two 9" round pans. After proofing and baking, they had puffed up to the point that they touched, so they have flat sides. In spite of rotating the pans and tenting them with foil mid-bake, the tops browned a bit unevenly and the bottoms browned a lot more than I would've liked (I'm thinking this is due to the higher fat and sugar content). C. didn't care -- he was pleased as punch!

After shaping the rolls.

Cooling after baking.