Easter Bunny Buns Recipes

Steps:

• For the yeast mixture: Combine the milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until about 100 degrees F (do not heat above 110 degrees F). Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the yeast, sugar and flour over the surface of the liquid. Set aside without stirring until foamy and rising up the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
• For the buns: Whisk the butter, vanilla and egg yolk into the yeast mixture. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon to make a thick, shaggy and slightly sticky dough. Stir in the raisins. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. Shape into a ball.
• Grease the inside of a large bowl with butter. Put the dough in the bowl, turning to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes. (If you have a marker, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic and note the time to help you keep track.)
• Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• To form the rolls: Pat and roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle. Cut off a 2-inch-wide strip of dough across the short side and set aside. (If the remaining dough has sprung back a bit, pat it back out to a 12-by-10-inch rectangle.) Cut the large dough rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut each smaller rectangle into six 5-by-2-inch pieces, for a total of 12 pieces. Gather each piece and roll into a tight oval-shaped ball, closing any seams as best you can. Arrange in the prepared baking dish in 3 rows of 4, with any remaining seams tucked under.
• Cut the reserved strip of dough into 24 pieces for the ears. Roll each piece into a 3-inch log, fold in half and pinch the ends together to form an ear. Pinch 2 ears together so they look slightly like a heart. Repeat with the remaining logs to make 12 sets of ears. Hold each set of ears from the front where the ears come to a point and pinch them onto the front third of a dough round to secure. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. (A small indent will remain in the dough if you poke it with your finger.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Beat the remaining whole egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the tops of the dough balls and ears with the egg wash.
• Bake the rolls until very golden brown and puffy, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes, then insert 2 mini chocolate chips beneath each set of ears for the bunnies' eyes.
• For the glaze: Stir together the confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and lemon zest in a bowl until smooth. Transfer half of the glaze to a small piping bag or resealable plastic bag and make a small cut in the corner. Add the pink food coloring to the remaining glaze and stir to combine. Transfer the pink glaze to a small piping bag. Pipe the pink icing inside of the ears. Pipe a big dollop of white glaze where the bunnies' tails would be. Cover the white icing with the shredded coconut.

Steps:

• Whisk warm milk, 1/4 cup flour, and yeast for dough together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit about 15 minutes to ensure yeast is active; small bubbles should start to rise to the surface. Add sugar, beaten egg, lemon and orange zest, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, melted butter, and most of the remaining flour (you might not need it all). Mix with a dough hook attachment until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes slightly elastic, 5 or 6 minutes. Continue kneading until dough is soft and shiny, about 10 minutes. Remove dough from dough hook and shape into a ball. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
• Shape dough into a round ball. Transfer to lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a relatively warm, draft-free place until double in size, about 2 hours.
• Poke dough down a bit with your fingertips. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Work dough into a uniform piece and cut into eight 4-ounce pieces. Roll one piece with the flats your hands into a 12-inch rope; it's okay if one end is a little thicker than the other.
• Cut 2 inches off the smaller end and 3 inches off the larger end. Roll the 2-inch piece into a ball for the tail. Roll the ends of the 3-inch piece into points, then flatten one end slightly for the face. Roll the remaining piece into a 12-inch rope, about 1/2 inch wide.
• Transfer the rope to a Silpat®-lined baking sheet and make a coil for the body. The end of the coil will be the bunny's front legs and paws, so place the head on top of that, touching the body, with the flatter side facing the same way as the paws.
• Cut the back side of the head (the pointy side) about 2/3 of the way in towards the face to make 2 ears. Make depressions in the middle of each ear with a bench scraper or the back of a knife; do not cut all the way through. Set the tail in place, touching the back of the body.
• Repeat to form remaining bunnies; you will use 2 lined baking sheets for 8 bunnies. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and proof in a warm spot for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Beat egg and water together for egg wash.
• Remove plastic wrap from the baking sheets and brush dough with egg wash. Poke small holes in the faces for eyes, then push raisins in the holes. Redefine the ears by pressing again with a bench scraper or knife.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until beautifully browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Cut into the center of the ears again to redefine them. Brush bunnies with simple syrup and sprinkle coconut onto the tails.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine sugar, shortening, egg, celery seed, salt, sage, nutmeg, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until mixture resembles sand. Add milk, blend until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic; about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; let rest 10 minutes., Divide dough into 24 pieces. For each bunny, roll one piece of dough into a 20-in. rope. Cut rope into one 10-in. piece, one 5-in. piece, two 2-in. pieces and one 1-in. piece. Coil 10-in. piece for body; place on a greased baking sheet. Coil 5-in. piece for head; place next to body. Form ears from the 2-in. pieces and tail from the 1-in. piece; add to bunny. Pinch and seal pieces together. Repeat, placing bunnies 2 in. apart on the baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes., Preheat oven to 375°. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter. Serve warm.