Published: Thursday, May 6, 2010

Christy Jordan is the publisher of SouthernPlate.com, her website dedicated to classic Southern dishes and quick and easy family favorites. She holds a B.S. in Home Economics and is a proud wife and mother living in Madison.

One of the things I enjoy doing above all others on Southern Plate is taking those lost and nearly-lost recipes of days gone by and posting them in hopes of bringing them back from the brink of extinction.

This is especially important to me in preserving our food heritage because our most cherished recipes were never written down, instead passed from cook to cook by showing them along with instructions like "you take a little bit of this and little bit of that".

Butter rolls are one of those time honored recipes, often passed down but seldom written. This recipe is how my grandmother makes them but there are many variations. This is served as a dessert and is something akin to a cinnamon roll but with just a scant bit of cinnamon and baked in a rich homemade custard sauce that stays just runny enough to be more like a custard gravy of sorts.

If you've had butter rolls before, you know just why I love these so. If you haven't, it'll be love at first bite!

I ask one favor of you, though. Since this is a nearly forgotten recipe of days gone by, I'd love for you to help me bring it back again so that it won't be lost for future generations. If you enjoy this recipe, please share it with a friend to help me do just that!

Old Timey Butter Roll Dessert

• 2 Cups Self Rising Flour
• 1/2 Cup Shortening
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, softened (course you can use margarine, don't make no special trips to the store!)
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Milk Sauce:

• 2 Cups milk
• 2/3 Cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cut shortening into flour really well with a fork. Stir in milk. On a floured surface, dump out dough and press together with your hands to form a ball. Roll out into a rectangle (about 7×10 in size).

Spread softened butter over dough and then sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon over top. Roll it up like a jelly roll and press it together lightly. Cut into nine slices about one inch thick each. Place into a lightly greased 8×8 baking dish.

In medium sauce pot, combine all milk sauce ingredients. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble lightly. Pour over rolls in pan.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until rolls are lightly browned on top. Allow to sit for a few minutes once it is done for the rolls to soak up more sauce. After you put each roll on a plate, spoon more sauce over it.