These foolproof tips will save you time and stress the next time you forget to prepare key ingredients at room temperature.
Do you have a family food tradition?
We have a ton because I love making special dishes for special occasions. It’s a great way to keep those family ties strong as I move in to my midlife years. One of our favorite food traditions is cinnamon rolls. Since they are such a big production, I only make them on Christmas morning, birthdays (if requested), and on the Sunday of our church’s General Conference which is held twice a year in April and October.
A few years ago, I had to alter my traditional cinnamon roll recipe due to my husband’s recent midlife health issues; he’s become allergic to oats, rye, and wheat. I now make a gluten free cinnamon roll version. They are delicious but require some extra steps like having the dairy ingredients room temperature before you begin assembling all the ingredients.
Last Sunday was one of those family tradition, cinnamon roll, General Conference Sunday days. My husband had been salivating all week knowing that cinnamon rolls were just around the corner. Knowing I need to plan ahead, I usually set out those items that need to be room temperature for my cinnamon roll recipe the night before, just to make sure they are ready by morning. But this time, I went to bed Saturday night without doing this important first step. As I was drowsily coming out of my restful sleep Sunday morning, I suddenly remembered: “My ingredients aren’t room temperature!!!” I shot out of bed, ran downstairs, and began trying to calculate how much time I had to try to get the ingredients to room temperature before it would be too late to serve the cinnamon rolls. I thought 30 minutes would be plenty of time– but it wasn’t. The ingredients were just as cold as when I started. If I didn’t come up with something quick, I’d be in big trouble and guilt ridden to boot. #EpicFamilyTraditionFail
Then I remembered: I could Google room temperature eggs and butter. It took just a couple of seconds to find a 2010 blog post on My Baking Addiction that saved my cinnamon rolls and our family tradition. Here’s what I learned and adapted to become my foolproof and quick room temperature tips:
***Note: The water can’t be hot. Use very warm tap water, i.e.; warm enough that you can touch it. 
***Note: The flipping action is what keeps it evenly softened, not melted in the middle and soft on the sides (How many times have I done that?) Do the flipping on all four long sides of the stick(s) of butter.
***Again, touch is the key. If it is still cool, do it again. If it is too hot too touch, you have gone too far.
By doing each of these foolproof tips and quick room temperature , I was able to save the day!! Our family tradition lived on another year AND we had delicious gluten free cinnamon rolls to enjoy. Win. Win.
Next up on the blog: my gluten free cinnamon roll recipe.
I’m looking forward to this recipe as my sisters family eats gluten free and I’d like to make it for them when I visit the end of this month.