Food with a message

Have you ever made empty tomb rolls? They’re also called resurrection rolls.

What a wonderful treat to make for your family this Easter season; not only are the rolls delicious, they also have a story to tell.

Empty tomb rolls only have a few ingredients, but each has significance, which you can explain to your children while you make them together.

Start with a marshmallow, which represents Jesus’ body. Dip the marshmallow in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar and tell the children that the butter and cinnamon represent the oils and spices placed on Jesus’ body before burial in the tomb.

Next, wrap the marshmallow in a crescent roll, sealing the seams. The crescent roll represents the linens that were used to wrap Jesus’ body.

While the rolls bake, something very special happens. The marshmallow disappears, leaving a hollow roll, or an empty tomb.

The rolls are very good and taste a lot like cinnamon rolls. Some of the marshmallow will probably ooze out of the roll, but that’s OK.

Although I used a can of refrigerated crescent rolls, I’ve seen recipes that use canned biscuits and frozen yeast rolls.

Once my rolls were all wrapped up and ready to bake, I placed them in a muffin tin to hold their shape.

This was so much fun to make. I was pleased that the recipe came out as it’s supposed to and that my family enjoyed them so much.

I think this would be a fun activity to do with a church youth group.

Give these rolls a try this week, and let the children in your life help you out!


Empty tomb rolls

• Marshmallows (not miniature)
• 2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2-3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (I didn’t measure)
• 1 tube of refrigerated crescent rolls

Set out two small bowls. Place melted butter in one and cinnamon sugar in the other.

Dip a marshmallow in the melted butter then roll in cinnamon sugar to coat. Unroll a crescent roll. Place marshmallow on roll and bring up sides to cover. Pinch seams to seal, making sure no marshmallow is showing. Lightly pat the roll in your hands to form a ball and place in muffin cup of a muffin tin. Repeat with remaining rolls. I added a little cinnamon sugar on top of the rolls.

Bake according to instructions on crescent roll package.