Resurrection Rolls...maybe you've heard of them? They're a wonderful visual to explain Jesus's resurrection to young children, which can be complicated at best. As an adult, I have trouble grasping it at times. And yet, I made these with my three-year-old who now proclaims around the house, "He wasn't in the tomb. He was alive!"
For those of you that aren't familiar with Resurrection Rolls, let me rock your culinary world. Resurrection Rolls are a pastry of marshmallow-y cinnamon-sugar goodness. But the awesome surprise is that once you bake the marshmallows inside the pastry, THEY DISAPPEAR JUST LIKE JESUS IN THE TOMB, which makes this a perfect activity to help explain the resurrection story.
Each ingredient symbolizes something in the story.
The marshmallow is Jesus.
The crescent roll is the burial linen that was wrapped around His body.
The melted butter and cinnamon sugar represent the oils used to anoint Him.
The oven is the tomb.
The empty roll is the empty tomb.
Now, I didn't get this detailed with my three-year-old. I kept it at "the marshmallow is Jesus." But that's the beauty of the activity: you can adjust it to an age-appropriate level, keeping details out or elaborating based on what your child can understand. It's something they can grow with and learn more about with each passing Lenten season.
Even though I didn't explain what each individual ingredient represented, I talked with my son about how Jesus died, which was very sad. As we rolled the marshmallows into the dough, I told my son that we were putting Jesus in the tomb and, a few days after Jesus was in the tomb, He came alive again. The tomb was empty. My son insisted that we would see the marshmallow after the rolls were finished baking. Boy, was he surprised! In his own little three-year-old mind, he now understands that the tomb was empty and Jesus is alive.
Resurrection Rolls Recipe
I found the recipe at Premediated Leftovers, and it proved to be a quick and easy activity to do with my toddler. There are other versions where you can make your dough from scratch, but I'm not that fancy.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then, spray or grease 8 wells of a muffin tin.
Unroll and separate the crescent dough into eight triangles and place it on a baking sheet.
In one small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together. In a second small bowl, melt your butter.
Dip the marshmallow into the melted butter. Then, roll it in the cinnamon sugar.
At the large end of the crescent triangle, place the coated marshmallow. Fold the dough tightly around the marshmallow, making sure it's totally sealed so it doesn't explode in the oven. (We had some casualties...) Roll the rest of the dough around the marshmallow so it forms a ball.
Repeat with the other marshmallows and place them in the greased muffin tin. Brush the tops with more melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake for 10-14 minutes, until the rolls are slightly puffy and golden. Allow them to cool slightly before serving. (They are best served warm.)
Get ready to experience your children's wonder and awe when you cut into it and they find it empty! Alleluia! He has risen! He has risen, indeed!
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