“A Special Easter Treat,” Friend, April 2017
A Special Easter Treat
Kate couldn’t wait to break open a roll and look inside!
“He is not here: for He is risen” (Matthew 28:6).
Kate walked into the kitchen and saw Mom rolling out dough.
“I’m making Easter rolls,” Mom said. “Want to help?”
“Yes!” said Kate. She wondered what Easter rolls would look like. Would they be shaped like bunnies? Or colored eggs? Kate ran to the counter and looked at the bowl of marshmallows Mom had set by the dough. Were they going to decorate the rolls with marshmallows?
Mom showed Kate how to wrap a square of dough around a marshmallow and dip the roll in butter and cinnamon sugar.
Kate picked up her own piece of dough and a marshmallow. It would probably taste delicious, but what did it have to do with Easter?
“Today is the Friday before Easter,” Mom said as she dipped a wrapped-up marshmallow in the melted butter. “Many people call it Good Friday.”
“Why?” Kate asked.
“Because it’s the day Jesus Christ showed how much He loves us. He suffered and died for our sins. Because of what He did, we can repent and be forgiven.”
Mom handed Kate a marshmallow to eat. “That’s why we can live with Heavenly Father again someday. So today really is a ‘good Friday,’ don’t you think?”
Kate nodded as she dipped her last roll in cinnamon sugar. “Done!”
“Now we have to let these rise,” Mom said. She put plastic wrap over the stuffed rolls and slid them into the fridge. “After Jesus died, His body was put in the tomb, and His spirit went to heaven. Do you know what happened then?”
“He visited people in the spirit world?” Kate asked.
“That’s right,” Mom said. “Then, on Sunday morning after He died …”
“He came alive again!” said Kate.
“Yes!” said Mom. “It’s called the Resurrection. Women visited Jesus’s tomb and found it empty. Angels told them, ‘He is not here: for He is risen.’ Because of that, all of us will live again after we die.”
Kate helped Mom wipe sugar and flour from the counter. “Each of the rolls we made is like a little tomb,” Mom said. “And on Easter Sunday, we’ll bake them.”
Kate wondered how they would turn out. She could hardly wait to eat one!
On Sunday morning Kate woke up to the smell of cinnamon baking. She hurried to the kitchen just in time to see Mom pull a tray of rolls out of the oven.
“Remember how we filled these?” Mom asked as she handed Kate a warm roll. “Break it open and take a look!”
Kate broke open her roll and looked inside. “It’s empty!”
“Just like the tomb on Easter morning,” Mom said. “Always remember that Jesus lives. And He loves you.”
Kate took a big bite out of her roll. She was grateful for Mom and this tasty treat, grateful for Jesus, and grateful for Easter morning!
Easter Rolls
Be sure to get an adult’s help.
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3 1/2 cups flour
28 large marshmallows
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar, mixed
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Put the yeast in the warm water and set it aside. In a large bowl, mix the milk, oil, sugar, and salt. Add the egg and the yeast mixture to the large bowl and stir. Stir in half the flour. Keep adding flour and stirring until dough forms. Knead lightly.
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Roll the dough out 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick and cut into 28 squares. Dip marshmallows into butter, then cinnamon sugar. Put a marshmallow on each square.
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Stretch the dough around the marshmallow and pinch the edges well to seal. Dip the top of the dough in butter, then cinnamon sugar. Place pinched-side down on a greased or foil-lined pan.
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Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at least 2 hours. If you’re going to make rolls on Friday and bake on Sunday, put them in the freezer Friday night so they don’t over-rise. Put them back in the fridge Saturday night.
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Take the rolls out of the fridge 1 hour before baking. Let the rolls rise double in size before baking. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 15–20 minutes or until light brown. Eat while warm.