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Today is my birthday, which unfortunately doesn’t really mean anything since I still have to go to work and school. I love having a birthday in December; however, since I’ve been in college, my birthday has always come smack dab in the middle of final exam week. It’s fine, though. I’ll make it up on the weekend (after I turn in one last big paper!).
Apparently, I was supposed to be a Thanksgiving baby. My mom’s parents, my parents, and my mom’s sister actually had a big Thanksgiving dinner the week before Thanksgiving, just in case I came on schedule. As my mom tells the story, my grandmother and aunt stood at the door as my parents left after early Thanksgiving, chanting, “Have that baby! Have that baby!”
I must have been asleep, because I didn’t hear them. I didn’t come on time, so they actually had another Thanksgiving. I think I know what really happened…I wanted to be a part of the two Thanksgivings, and if I had come on schedule, I would have been stuck with milk!
My mom usually made me a carrot cake for my birthday, which I loved. But if I were to make my own birthday dessert, it would definitely be cinnamon rolls.
I first had cinnamon rolls at Susie’s house. Susie was a friend of my mom’s and she was an amazing cook. She would make huge, fat pancakes with sausage and eggs, delicious hot chicken soup, and she grilled stuff. And she made some amazing cinnamon rolls.
Her cinnamon rolls were healthy for you, too. Made with whole wheat flour, honey, cinnamon and lots of chopped nuts, they were soft, sweet, and filling. The best part of the cinnamon roll was the bottom…the part that got crispy and caramelized on the pan.
The concept of a sweet roll goes way back in history, all the way to the Egyptians and Romans (Hey, how else do you think those pyramid workers could make it through a long day of toting rocks?). Cinnamon, the spice, can be traced back to Sri Lanka, according to food historians. It was highly valued and originally used as incense and as flavoring in wine. Ancient Romans didn’t use cinnamon in sweet pastries; instead, they were spiced with pepper. The Egyptians sweetened their pastries with honey and flavored with nuts. Marco Polo brought the large-scale spice trade to Europe, and cinnamon began to be used in many medieval dishes.
Dr. Ronald Wirtz, from the American Institute of Baking, said that the cinnamon roll we know today (here in the United States) comes from British cooking and baking, and a bit of influence from the Dutch and Germans. That explains why I like them so much. My heritage is Dutch, German, and English, plus Irish. But you can always take care of the Irish side by serving a nice, hot cup of Irish coffee with your cinnamon rolls!
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My Birthday Wish: Cinnamon Rolls
Today is my birthday, which unfortunately doesn’t really mean anything since I still have to go to work and school. I love having a birthday in December; however, since I’ve been in college, my birthday has always come smack dab in the middle of final exam week. It’s fine, though. I’ll make it up on the weekend (after I turn in one last big paper!).
Apparently, I was supposed to be a Thanksgiving baby. My mom’s parents, my parents, and my mom’s sister actually had a big Thanksgiving dinner the week before Thanksgiving, just in case I came on schedule. As my mom tells the story, my grandmother and aunt stood at the door as my parents left after early Thanksgiving, chanting, “Have that baby! Have that baby!”
I must have been asleep, because I didn’t hear them. I didn’t come on time, so they actually had another Thanksgiving. I think I know what really happened…I wanted to be a part of the two Thanksgivings, and if I had come on schedule, I would have been stuck with milk!
My mom usually made me a carrot cake for my birthday, which I loved. But if I were to make my own birthday dessert, it would definitely be cinnamon rolls.
I first had cinnamon rolls at Susie’s house. Susie was a friend of my mom’s and she was an amazing cook. She would make huge, fat pancakes with sausage and eggs, delicious hot chicken soup, and she grilled stuff. And she made some amazing cinnamon rolls.
Her cinnamon rolls were healthy for you, too. Made with whole wheat flour, honey, cinnamon and lots of chopped nuts, they were soft, sweet, and filling. The best part of the cinnamon roll was the bottom…the part that got crispy and caramelized on the pan.
The concept of a sweet roll goes way back in history, all the way to the Egyptians and Romans (Hey, how else do you think those pyramid workers could make it through a long day of toting rocks?). Cinnamon, the spice, can be traced back to Sri Lanka, according to food historians. It was highly valued and originally used as incense and as flavoring in wine. Ancient Romans didn’t use cinnamon in sweet pastries; instead, they were spiced with pepper. The Egyptians sweetened their pastries with honey and flavored with nuts. Marco Polo brought the large-scale spice trade to Europe, and cinnamon began to be used in many medieval dishes.
Dr. Ronald Wirtz, from the American Institute of Baking, said that the cinnamon roll we know today (here in the United States) comes from British cooking and baking, and a bit of influence from the Dutch and Germans. That explains why I like them so much. My heritage is Dutch, German, and English, plus Irish. But you can always take care of the Irish side by serving a nice, hot cup of Irish coffee with your cinnamon rolls!
Serves/Makes: 20
- 2 packages (8 ounce size) refrigerated biscuit dough
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Dip individual biscuits into the melted butter and then into cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Place each covered biscuit in greased 3 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until rolls or done.
You can check rolls in the center after 2 hours for doneness.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/sarah-christine-bolton/808-cinnamon-rolls/