Pani PoPo

My family absolutely loves these. WE have had perfect pani popo rolls etc but our dear friends have moved half way across the country. These have been a close substitute and I keep trying to perfect the recipes. One of these days I will get it. WE still have an empty pan when I make it though.

5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 package yeast
2 1/4 cups milk
2 TBL milk
1 TBL sugar
1 TBL shortening, margarine OR butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Mix 2 1/2 cups flour add yeast. In a sauce pan heat and stir milk, sugar and butter and salt til warm, until butter or shortening almost melts. Add to flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.
Stir in as much of the flour as you can to make it a moderately stiff dough. That is smooth and easy to pull.

Put some crisco shortening on your hands. This will add moisture to your rolls and make it easier to handle. Shape in a bowl and put in greased bowl. Turn dough over to grease both sides of ball. Cover bowl and dough and let rise in the oven on the top rack. Put a pan of hot water below. The steam will help to rise the dough.
Punch dough down in approx. 45 minutes. Roll 18 balls and cover for 10 minutes while you make the following milk recipe.

2 cans coconut milk
1 cup sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
1 TBL cornstarch

Add 2 cans cocunut milk and sugar to sauce pan.

In 2 13x9 pans add half the milk mixture to each pan and add 9 rolls to each pan.
Bake at 375 degrees in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the rolls are done.