Tuscan Style Pesto and Pine Nut Rolls

This recipe is one of the winning entries from the 2008
Pamela's Greatest Gluten-free Recipe Contest

1 bag (3-1/2 cups) Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix including yeast packet
1/4 cup oil
2 large eggs
Water (to equal a total of 2 cups when combined with oil and eggs)
1 cup either freshly prepared or purchased pesto sauce
1/4 cup pine nuts, chopped
2 TBSP unsalted butter to grease muffin tins

Yield: approximately 20 rolls

Heat oven to 350°.

Prepare Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix according to instructions for Oven Baking preparation. Stir in pesto sauce and pine nuts and mix well.

Grease cups of muffin tins with butter. Divide mixture equally into muffin tins, filling each muffin cup 1/2 full. Let rise for 1 hour. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of roll comes out clean and rolls are lightly golden brown.

Chef's Notes: These were very easy and had a very light texture. I liked leaving the pine nuts whole rather than chopped as called for in the recipe, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the rolls before baking (and prevent the plastic wrap from sticking).

For the tallest, lightest rolls, let the dough raise in a bowl for 60 minutes and then form the rolls. One method, by using water on hands, lightly form small balls no larger than what fits below the top of the muffin pan. Another method is to scoop the dough into the pan and then smooth the top with a wet rubber spatula, again no higher than the pan top. Sprinkle the tops with the reserved pine nuts and use plastic wrap to let them raise again for 60 minutes before baking.