Tidbit in time

That’s Good Eatin!” 1893 Chocolate Rolls

My first memory of Mama’s butter rolls was from watching her make them when I was five years old. I stood on a chair and if I was lucky, I got to help. She had no recipe. She just did it. No one had cookbooks. When I started making them after I married, I added the cocoa and called it chocolate rolls. Mama called it butter rolls. Hers were made with butter as that is what we had. No one had heard of oleo or margarine. Of course, it was baked in a wood heated cook stove. This dish was very special as we didn’t have butter to spare very often.

Cut out round, or square, short biscuit dough on floured board into approximately six-inch circle or square, using the number needed to cover the bottom of your pan. Roll thin enough that it can be picked up. In the center if each round, place two tablespoons of butter. Add two or three tablespoons of sugar. Wrap dough over filling by placing each corner on top as if you were making an apple dumpling. If using round dough, pull up over filling and twist. Place wrapped side down in order to hold wrapping in place. Repeat until the bottom of the pan is covered.

Next, make up enough milk, sugar and cocoa with vanilla flavor to taste and pour over rolls. Liquid needs to cover rolls about one inch. Bake in a 350-degree oven until crust has browned on top.

When liquid thickens like thin pudding, bubbling good all over and crust rises to top and browns, it is done.

Try it. It is different and you probably will not find a recipe for them anywhere.

As old timers used to say, “that’s good eatin”!

This Tidbit in Time shared by the Hot Spring County

Historical Society

The Heritage, Vol. 20, p. 67