Bunny Buns

This year, I made Bunny Buns for the second time.  Last year, my kids found the recipe in a children's magazine and pleaded so much, I finally decided to try them out, even though they took a little extra work.

The dough is actually a reasonably normal sweet roll dough with orange flavoring, found in my Sunset cookbook, as well as other sources.  But this twist (pun intended) on the recipe makes it a fun Easter treat.

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
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

I did vary a little bit from this recipe, as written.  For one thing, I used 1 1/4 cup warm water and 1/3 cup of dry milk, instead of the 1/4 cup warm water and the 1 cup milk.  This removes the necessity of staring at the walls while the milk mixture cools enough to add into the bowl without fear of killing the yeast.  I also heated the shortening a little to make it softer and simulate the effect of putting shortening into hot milk.  (It doesn't usually melt completely when you do.)

My Senior Master Kitchen Helper helped me with the oranges, grating the peel and squeezing out the juice.

Yes, that is a Mexican key lime in the background.  We'd just finished a pie.

If you intend to mix this recipe by hand, refer to the link at the very top of this page, as the original recipe is written with this in mind.  (You will notice it really is written for kids, as the first step directs the baker to wash their hands with soap and water . . .)

First, mix the yeast and sugar in with the warm water.  Allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes to proof.

In the stand mixer bowl with a bread hook, add the salt, softened shortening, and powdered milk.  Add the beaten eggs, orange juice, grated orange peel, and the yeast mixture.  Gradually add the flour and mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides.  Continue mixing, adding flour a little at a time to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl, allowing it to knead for at least 5 minutes.  (For more complete directions on mixing a yeast dough with a stand mixer, click here.)

When the dough is ready, drizzle a little cooking oil in the bowl and allow the mixer to twirl once to spread it around.  Remove the bread hook and twirl the dough to distribute the oil more completely, then turn it upside down so the oiled side is up.  Cover with paper towels and allow to rise 2 hours or until about doubled in size.

After rising . . .

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick.  Cut the dough into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long.  (A pizza cutter is handy here.)

Roll the strips between your hands to make a rounded snake shape.  (I confess I'm not terribly good at this part.)  Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long and roll those into balls.  (I usually can get these from the ends and edges . . . Why cut up a perfectly good strip?)

Place one long strip on a greased cookie sheet.  The recipe then says to 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.  I find it simpler to understand this way:

Place the long strip on the greased cookie sheet as if it were hanging from a nail or something, with the two ends roughly even.

Then take hold of both ends and twist them twice.  They will end up on their original sides.

Place a ball of dough on top of the loop, as if you are filling in the hole there.

Cover the bunnies and let them rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, until almost double in size.  Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes.

Remove the bunnies when they are lightly browned.  Stir the glaze ingredients together and frost the bunnies while they are still warm.

These bunnies come out a little large, especially if your strips get out of control while rolling and increase their length.  (Never happened to me . . . nope . . .)  After about a dozen, I get tired of shaping them and just roll the rest of the dough into balls.  This serves the dual purpose of getting me off my feet faster and making smaller rolls for people like me, who don't usually want to eat an entire bunny bun.

Regardless of the shape, they all taste delicious!