Bunny Buns

Bunny Buns are my new favorite Easter tradition!  We are going on year one, but I can just tell that this is something that will be a family favorite for years to come.  Do any of you get The Friend magazine for your kiddos?  This month there was a "Kitchen Crafts" recipe called Bunny Buns.  My two year old was obsessed with the picture, so I decided I'd better try them out.  I made them (swapping shortening for butter), and they turned out pretty good.  The bread is yummy.  It reminds me of an orange roll, but the glaze wasn't my favorite.  I put it on a few of the buns, and it reminded me of the glaze you get on cheap glazed donuts.  So I tried a cream cheese glaze, which was just okay and didn't look very pretty.  So I'm on the lookout for a better recipe.  Do any of you have a good glaze for an orange roll?

These rolls were such a hit with my two year old that I rolled some Rhodes dough (frozen dinner rolls) into the shape of bunnies again last night with dinner (pictured above).  It worked awesome!  I think the idea would probably work with any dough.  I plan to make some dinner rolls again in the shape of Bunny Buns to go with Easter dinner every year, and I'll probably make the orange rolls as a treat leading up to Easter.  Such a fun idea!

PS Don't forget about Easter Morning Rolls (AKA Resurrection Rolls) for breakfast on Sunday!

Bunny Buns (orange roll version - recipe below)

 

Bunny Buns
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I used 1/2 butter)
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons grated orange peel
5 1/2 cups flour

Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter (not my fav... anyone have a better one?)

1. Wash hands with soap and water.2. Sprinkle yeast in the warm water and set aside.

3. In another bowl, blend milk, sugar, shortening, and salt. Cool until lukewarm, then add eggs, water with yeast, orange juice, and orange peel.

4. Stir in flour a few cups at a time to make a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Knead dough 5–10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic (I used my Bosch for 5 minutes). Place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover bowl with a clean towel and put it in a warm place. Let dough rise for 2 hours, or until double in size. Punch dough down and let stand for 10 minutes.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long. Roll between hands into rounded snake shapes. Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long, and roll into balls.

7. Place one long piece of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Place one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over the other end. Place a ball of dough on top of the bottom loop.

8. Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until nearly double in size. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 12–15 minutes.

9. For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.