Thursday, April 21, 2011

Bunny Buns

This recipe was in this month's Friend (an LDS children's magazine). While it is too hard for kids to make on their own, they are really cute and very delicious! I didn't have orange peel on hand so left it out. This might be a new Easter tradition!


Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
5 1/2 cups flour, sifted
Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter
  1. 1. 
    Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. 2. 
    Sprinkle yeast in the warm water and set aside.
  3. 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. 4. 
    Stir in flour a few cups at a time to make a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  5. 5. 
    Knead dough 5–10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. 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. 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. 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. 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. 9. 
    For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.