κόκκινες χιονιές (red snowballs)

This was a Ruby invention (and name, translated to Greek). I found a basic sweet-roll dough recipe in a Fannie Farmer Baking Book and she filled them with Greek sour cherry preserves.

2 pkgs dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk, warmed
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, softened
3 eggs*
5-1/4 to 5-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

*Note: If eggs are refrigerator cold, pour hot water over them and let stand for several minutes to warm before cracking.

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a small cup or bowl, stir and let stand for a minute or two to dissolve. (I add about 1 tbsp of the sugar to the water as well — a trick Mom told me that Rae told her.) Combine the milk, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl, and beat well. Stir in the dissolved yeast. Add 2-1/2 cups of the flour, and beat until smooth and well blended. Add 2-1/2 cups more flour and beat until the dough holds together in a rough, shaggy mass. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Resume kneading for 8 to 10 minutes more, gradually sprinkling on a little more flour if the dough sticks to your hands, until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch the risen dough down, and it is ready to be formed and baked. You can also freeze the dough or store in the refrigerator for a few days in a tightly covered container. We ran out of time, so stored it in the fridge over night.

Melt a couple of tbsps of butter in the bottom of a 9 x 12 cake pan. Break dough into 24 mandarin-sized balls and roll into a flat circle. Spoon about 1 tbsp (we made sure there was one cherry plus some goo) into the center of dough, dab water around edges and pinch up sides. Rub roll (pinched side up) in butter at bottom of pan, then turn over and push to edge. Repeat with all rolls, so that they are touching each other and the sides of pan. Cover, and let rise about an hour and bake for 15 minutes at 375°.